Irisin against osteoporosis
Injections of "sports" hormone strengthen bones
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
Scientists have discovered that a hormone that is released during exercise controls the destruction and formation of bone tissue. This opens up new prospects for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Researchers from Harvard University (USA) have discovered a new role of the hormone irisin. It can be a link between physical activity and its positive health effects, including fat burning, bone strengthening and protection from neurodegenerative diseases, according to the university's website ('Exercise hormone' found to target key bone cells).
It is known that osteocytes – the main regulatory cells of bone tissue - die off with age, provoking fragility and thinning of bones.
It turned out that the hormone irisin controls the process of regeneration and destruction of bones, and therefore scientists are optimistic about the prospect of creating new methods of treating osteoporosis.
Experiments with mice proved that the treatment of osteocytes with the hormone irisin increased the production of a protein called sclerotin, which triggers bone remodeling. Injections of the hormone increased the level of scletorin in rodents.
It is noteworthy that in female mice, even against the background of the absence of the hormone estrogen in the body (they had their ovaries removed), protective barriers against bone loss were observed. Scientists were stunned by the result, since it is known that estrogen deficiency is a hallmark of the development of osteoporosis in women.
The team will continue to research the properties of irisin so that in the future there will be a way to manage its health benefits. Scientists plan to study its effects on bones, adipose tissue and the human nervous system.
Today, almost all elderly people suffer from osteoporosis: the development of the disease begins slowly after the age of 50. For people of this age, bone fractures become a huge problem, since bone tissue no longer has the same properties of rapid fusion. To solve this problem, scientists from the United States have created biodegradable scaffolds that accelerate the healing process.
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