Gene identified as possible risk factor for osteoporosis
People who are at greater risk for bone fractures because of osteoporosis could protect themselves if they buy Canadian Fosamax at a fraction of the cost.
People who are at greater risk for bone fractures because of osteoporosis could protect themselves if they buy Canadian Fosamax at a fraction of the cost. Those who are at risk include menopausal women and patients taking corticosteroid medications. New research shows that a specific gene may also make certain people more prone to the disease.
Osteoporosis is caused by an imbalance of osteoblasts, which form bone, and osteoclasts, which break bone down, according to researchers from Universite Laval in Quebec and Washington University School of Medicine in Saint Louis. With this in mind, the team decided to study the different genes that may affect these two different cells.
In the laboratory, the researchers found a gene that helps regulate the population of osteoclasts. Blocking this gene's function increased the number of osteoclasts in mice, which sped up the rate of bone loss, as reported Oct. 4 in the journal Cell Metabolism.
"We identified this gene as a novel modulator of bone mineral density in mice and humans," said author Jean Vacher. "More importantly, we showed that the human gene could represent a new susceptibility factor for osteoporosis. Hence, this discovery will help identify individuals with a greater predisposition to the disease who could benefit from preventive measures."
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