Replacement therapy of menopause and osteoporosis: will osteoblasts help?

Scientists at Yale University, working under the guidance of Doctors Thomas L. McCarthy and Michael Centrella, isolated an estrogen-like compound from rat osteoblasts. The substance secreted by osteoblasts during differentiation, tentatively called Ob-SERM, triggers several biochemical mechanisms, usually induced by activation of estrogen receptors.

Estradiol plays an important role in maintaining the normal state of bone tissue, maintaining a balance between the constantly occurring processes of resorption and bone formation. Replacement therapy with estradiol in menopause helps to prevent the side effects of hormonal decline observed during aging, but increases the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Since the compound Ob-SERM is not functionally and chemically identical to estradiol, it may be possible to use it as a safe alternative to traditional methods of hormone replacement therapy for menopause and osteoporosis.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of ScienceDaily

19.05.2008