Scientists at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine have identified an important driver of bone loss, leading to potential treatment for osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
The findings explain why specialized bone cells called osteoclasts begin to break down more bone than the body restores.
The findings were published in the scientific journal Nature Communications in August.
Osteoporosis impacts more than 200 million people globally. It causes bone fractures in 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over age 50. Bone loss is also seen in rheumatoid arthritis, a painful inflammatory condition that affects up to 1% of the population.
The researchers were able to prevent bone loss in lab mice by blocking the cellular protein ELMO1, including in two different forms of rheumatoid arthritis. That leads researchers to believe they may be able to target the protein in people as a way to treat or prevent bone loss caused by osteoporosis and RA, they said.
Scientists hope to further their research to better understand what causes this bone loss and eventually target the underlying cause to prevent or treat bone loss.
“In this study, we identified previously unappreciated factors that contribute to osteoclast function that is truly exciting and opens up new avenues to pursue," said researcher Kodi Ravichandran, chairman of UVA’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Cancer Biology, and director of UVA’s Center for Cell Clearance.