2024-07-10 15:07:04
A team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of California at Davis (UC Davis) has identified a new hormone that could revolutionize the treatment of osteoporosis and the healing of bone fractures. Published in the magazine ‘Creation‘, studies show that hormones, called Hormonal Cerebral Maternal (HCM), has the ability to increase bone density and strength in rats.
Scientists have solved the long-standing mystery of how the bones of breastfeeding women become stronger without the loss of calcium in milk. This finding may have important implications for the treatment of osteoporosis, a disease that affects many 200 million people around the worldEven women after menopause.
The team, take about Holly Ingraham, found that HCM plays an important role in bone health. «If we had not studied female rats, we may have missed this finding» said Ingraham, highlighting the importance of including animals and gender in the research.
While breastfeeding, estrogen levels are low, which should predispose women to osteoporosis. However, this did not happen, which led researchers to look for another factor that promotes bone formation. In female mice, the Blocking an estrogen receptor in specific neurons increases bone masssuggests the existence of an unknown hormone, now known as HCM.
In experiments with young and old mice, both female and male, HCM increased bone size and strength within a few weeks. In estrogen-depleted female mice, HCM doubled bone density. The authors showed a remarkable sensitivity of the bones treated with HCM, showing the revolutionary potential for the hormone.
Bone loss affects not only postmenopausal women, but also breast cancer survivors, young athletes, etc.
The researchers also developed a hydrogel patch which releases HCM at the site of fractures, promoting new bone formation and improving healing. This method has shown promising results, especially in older mice whose fractures do not heal well.
The team plans to study the molecular mechanisms of HCM, its presence in breastfeeding women, and its ability to treat various bone conditions.
“Bone loss affects not only postmenopausal women, but breast cancer survivors, young athletes, and older men who have lower survival rates after hip fractures,” Ingraham explained. “HCM can offer new hope for these groups.”
This discovery represents a significant advance in the understanding and treatment of bone diseases, opening new avenues for more effective and specific treatments.
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