Did you know?

Osteoporosis is a common condition where the bones of the skeleton become weak, brittle and can fracture very easily. In Australia, one in two women and one in three men over the age of 60 years will have an osteoporotic fracture. Osteoporosis usually has no signs or symptoms until a fracture occurs. About half of the people who have one fracture due to osteoporosis will have another, and the risk of having another fracture rises exponentially with each new fracture. The total cost of osteoporosis to the healthcare system is estimated to be $20 million every day. Aside from the financial burden, fractures are often painful and affect mobility, leading to a loss of confidence and quality of life. Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose minerals, like calcium, more quickly than the body can replace them, resulting in a loss of bone density. The bones become weak, and even a small bump or movement may cause the bone to fracture.

One of the best ways to strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis is by getting regular weight-bearing exercise

Diamantina’s research into osteoporosis

Researchers in the Bone Biology Group at the Diamantina Institute study the formation of bone. They are trying to gain a detailed understanding of the molecules and pathways that control the numbers and activity of the bone-forming cells. This knowledge will make it possible to target these control mechanisms with new therapies to increase bone production and replace bone lost in osteoporosis.

One powerful protein in particular that our researchers are investigating is called Neuropeptide Y (NPY). NPY acts on the hypothalamus in the brain to restrain bone formation in the skeleton via a direct neural circuit. If this circuit is interrupted, bone mass increases as the bone-forming cells increase their activity. This remains under investigation and could be a potential target for new therapies for osteoporosis.

Our researchers are also investigating the role that two important genes (called Wnt target genes) play in normal bone formation. It has been observed that the genes are highly active in healing bone after a fracture. These genes and the associated Wnt pathway are being studied to help us gain a deeper understanding of the genetic factors involved in normal bone formation and osteoporosis.

Genetic factors are known to be key determinants of the risk of osteoporosis and of bone fragility. The Musculoskeletal Genetics Group are engaged with researchers around Australia in research aimed at identifying the genes involved, using state-of-the-art genetic methods. We are also working with British groups to study genes causing extremely thick and strong bones, as identifying those genes could potentially lead to new therapies for osteoporosis. It is then essential to determine how the genes concerned work to cause the condition, and we have an active program of research developing mouse models of bone and joint disease to allow rapid translation from genetic findings to function.

More information

For more detailed information about the research that is being done in the Musculoskeletal Genetics Group, click on the links. For more information about osteoporosis, we recommend you visit the Osteoporosis Australia website.