Studies by American scientists have shown that blockade of certain receptors in the brain enhances bone growth. The new drug is able to increase bone mass by 800% from the original values. Experts believe that in the next 5 years there will be a cure for osteoporosis.
What is osteoporosis and how common?
Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease. Destruction of the fine structure of the bone leads to a significant increase in its fragility. Fractures usually occur even in situations harmless to a healthy person.
In 2018, the number of people suffering from osteoporosis is estimated at 8-10 million in Russia alone.
Osteoporosis is one of the most expensive diseases for public health. Nearly 2 million women and nearly 1 million men have already suffered vertebral fractures.
According to new studies, 150,000 new hip fractures occur annually in Russia. These numbers also represent an extraordinary financial burden on an already weak health system. At the age of 15 to 55 years, the number of vertebral fractures remains a fairly constant value.
What did scientists discover?
Bone density was significantly increased in women with substances that block estrogen receptors in the brain.
Further analyzes of the femur using high-resolution three-dimensional microcomputer tomography confirmed striking results. In female mutants, an increase in bone volume in the distal part of the femur by ~ 800% was observed.
A similar trend was found for the spinal bone. Females also showed a significant increase in the thickness of the cortical layer, but a moderate decrease in the length of the tibia and femur.
The study helped to understand the complex role of the interaction of female sex hormones with bones. The exact hormonal and nerve signals that contribute to the rapid increase in bone mass have yet to be determined.
Scientists concluded that high bone mass in mouse models is the result of the activation of a powerful signaling pathway. It promotes bone formation through hormones in the brain.
Mechanical tests of bone strength showed that the L5 femurs and vertebrae were stronger with receptor blockade. Trabecular bone, which becomes porous and more fragile with osteoporosis, becomes surprisingly dense and durable with estrogen blockade.
Despite the narrowing of the bone marrow cavity, no differences in the weight of the spleen were observed among the subjects compared with the control group. Blockade of receptors also did not significantly affect other indicators of the body.
How does estrogen affect a woman’s body?
Estrogen is a female sex hormone that controls the flow and distribution of energy in the body. Peripheral estrogen is also an important regulator of bone formation. 17β-estradiolactively stimulates bone formation.
Scientific work revealed a previously unknown mechanism for the development of age-related bone diseases. It provides clear evidence of signal transmission from the brain to the bone. In addition, the results demonstrate the importance of central estrogen signaling in maintaining bone mass in women.
Violation of the normal hormonal background in young and old women contributes to the destruction of bones. New research will help identify drugs that can counteract age-related osteoporosis in both women and men.
Future medications will only target hormonal receptors in the brain, and not in other parts of the body. Previous medications acted exclusively on peripheral (not in the brain) estrogens, which was due to a weak effect.
Specialists in the journal NatureCommunications admit that "they have never seen such powerful and rapid bone growth.
Scientists conclude: a new mechanism of action will help create a medicine that will defeat osteoporosis forever. In the next 10 years, the first tests of drugs that affect estrogen mainly in the brain will begin.
