Osteoporosis: New Treatment For Bone-Related Conditions

Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute have developed a drug that could help to treat osteoporosis and other bone-related conditions, including diabetes and obesity through the investigation of a protein called PPARG and its effects on bone marrow stem cells.

"These findings demonstrate for the first time a new therapeutic application for drugs targeting PPARG, which has been the focus of efforts to develop insulin sensitizers to treat type 2 diabetes," said Patrick Griffin, PhD, molecular therapeutics department chair and director of the Translational Research Institute at Scripps Research Institute.

During the study, researchers designed a compounded called SR2595 to repress the protein. Findings revealed that reduced PPARG in mouse models encouraged bone growth that could potentially be promising for treating osteoporosis and for other therapeutic applications.

Researchers found that the drug was particularly successful in mice models for treating numerous illnesses. Furthermore, the results showed that when human mesenchymal stem cells were treated with the new compound, there was a significantly significant increase in osteoblast formation, a cell type known to form bone.

"We have already demonstrated SR2595 has suitable properties for testing in mice. The next step is to perform an in-depth analysis of the drug's efficacy in animal models of bone loss, ageing,obesity and diabetes," Griffin added.

First study author David P. Marciano also added that "Because PPARG is so closely related to several proteins with known roles in disease, we can potentially apply these structural insights to design new compounds for a variety of therapeutic applications."

Statistics show that osteoporosis is responsible for over 8.9 million fractures annually, resulting in an osteoporotic fracture every 3 seconds. Furthermore, worldwide, 1 in 3 women over the age of 50 will experience osteoporotic fractures, as will 1 in 5 men over 50.

Preventing osteoporosis as we age can be helped with adequate calcium, vitamin D and eating a well-balanced diet as we age, as well as getting much needed regular exercise. Limiting alcohol and avoiding excessive alcohol intake is also important.

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