Bone Abstracts

Iron overload due to hemochromatosis or chronic blood transfusions has been implicated in the development of osteoporosis. However, the impact of iron overload or iron deficiency on stromal cell functions and the underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. Since the Wnt signaling pathway is a critical regulator of bone remodelling, we aimed to analyse the effects of iron overload and iron deficiency on osteoblast function and further define the role of Wnt signaling in these pro...

Hyperthyroidism in mice is associated with a low bone mass, an increased bone turnover and high serum levels of sclerostin, a potent Wnt inhibitor. Here, we explored the effects of either reducing bone turnover with bisphosphonates or increasing bone formation with neutralizing sclerostin antibodies (Scl-Ab) on bone mass and estimated strength in hyperthyroid mice.Twelve-week-old C57BL/6 male mice were rendered hyperthyroid by adding L-thy...

Dedicated occupational therapy and physiotherapy service for children and families with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital were set up in September 2017 to provide multidisciplinary management.Objectives: The aim is to assess if the newly established specialist paediatric occupational therapy and physiotherapy service is meeting the needs of the patients and their families.Method: A paper ...

Glucocorticoids (GC) are effective drugs in the treatment of inflammatory diseases, including various forms of arthritis. However, their use is limited by negative effects on bone mass and strength, resulting in increased osteoporotic fractures. Conditional knockout mice demonstrated that the GR in osteoblasts is essential for GC-dependent bone loss. Recent studies show that GC profoundly inhibit Wnt signaling by stimulating the expression of Wnt antagonists such as dickkopf-1...

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Milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor 8 (MFG-E8) is a glycoprotein that controls the engulfment of apoptotic cells and exerts anti-inflammatory effects. It has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases, but its role in the bone microenvironment is still unknown. Here we tested the hypothesis that MFG-E8 also regulates bone metabolism and the development of arthritis.MFG-E8 expression was detected in mouse bones and primary murine osteobl...

Introduction: Bone metastases represent a frequent complication of breast cancer and are characterized by increased tumour-driven activation of osteoclasts and subsequent bone loss. Aminobisphosphonates inhibit osteoclast function and are established therapies of skeletal metastases. Similar to statins, they block the mevalonate pathway and are thought to have direct anti-tumour effects. Here, we report on the anti-tumour potential of a sequential inhibition of the mevalonate ...

Introduction: Collagen and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as hyaluronan (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are basic elements of bone structure and collagen-GAG composites are currently developed for a wide range of applications. Here, we report on the molecular and cellular effects of GAGs and their sulfated derivatives on osteocytes, which are fundamental orchestrators of bone remodeling.Materials and methods: The effects of native and sulfate-modified ...

The osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR), primarily described as a co-stimulatory regulator of osteoclast differentiation, represents a novel link between bone metabolism and vascular biology. Previously, we identified OSCAR on endothelial cells responding to the proatherogenic factor oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL). Additionally, OSCAR expression was increased in the aorta of atherogenic apoE-knock-out (apoE-KO) mice, where it was further induced by feeding a high-...

Osteoporosis is a frequent disease leading to an increased risk of fractures caused by a systemic impairment of bone mass, strength, and microarchitecture. Given the emerging role of the Wnt signaling pathway in bone biology, we focused on the function of the important Wnt inhibitor dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) and examined how the deletion of Dkk-1 solely in osteoblasts or osteocytes influences bone homeostasis. Therefore, we used the Cre-LoxP recombination system and crossed Dkk-1-flo...