Unlocking the mystery behind skeletal aging:
Researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry have identified the role a critical enzyme plays in skeletal aging and bone loss, putting them one step closer to understanding the complex biological mechanisms that lead to osteoporosis, the bone disease that afflicts some 200 million people worldwide.
The findings from their study in mice, published online today in the journal Cell Stem Cell, could hold an important key to developing more effective treatments for osteoporosis and improving the lives of an aging population, they say.
Cells in the bone marrow known as mesenchymal stem cells serve as the building blocks of the body's skeletal tissues, but whether these stem cells ultimately develop into bone or fat tissues is controlled in part by what are known as epigenetic factors — molecules that regulate genes, silencing some and activating others.
[...] In one important scenario, the scientists examined stem cell senescence, or deterioration and exhaustion — the natural process by which mesenchymal stem cells stop rejuvenating or creating more of themselves over time. The team unexpectedly found that senescence, which leads to natural skeletal aging, was characterized by a loss of KDM4B.
[...] Finally, the team showed that parathyroid hormone, an anabolic drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of aging-related bone loss, helps to maintain the pool of mesenchymal stem cells in aging mice in a KDM4B-dependent manner.
The results not only confirm the critical role KDM4B plays in mesenchymal stem cell fate decision, skeletal aging and osteoporosis, but they show that the loss of KDM4B exacerbates bone loss under a number of conditions and, surprisingly, that KDM4B controls the ability of mesenchymal stem cells to self-renew. This study is the first in vivo research to demonstrate that the loss of an epigenetic factor promotes adult stem cell deterioration and exhaustion in skeletal aging.
Entry for KDM4B on Wikipedia.
Journal Reference:
Peng Deng, Quan Yuan, Yingduan Cheng, et al. Loss of KDM4B exacerbates bone-fat imbalance and mesenchymal stromal cell exhaustion in skeletal aging. Cell Stem Cell, 2021; DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.01.010
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @03:33AM (2 children)
Of course written by the 18 year old that thinks she is still young and life is long and she will never age. Someone who doesn't realize that boomers at 18 looked just as young and fresh and new as she does in 2021.
Do kids of today have no concept of aging or have no knowledge that they will get old just as every human has in the past 1000 generations?
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @04:04AM
One generation will eventually become the one to stop aging. The previous generations are all deathist Neanderthals.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @04:31AM
18 year olds on soylentnewz? Your Old fart dementia has kicked in.
(Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @03:38AM (4 children)
I hope martyb develops severe osteoporosis before this research can lead to a treatment. Fuck that asshole and his butt-buddy TMB.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @04:10AM (1 child)
I'm sure that martyb hates to disappoint, but osteoporosis is mostly a female problem. You probably haven't noticed, but us guys age differently, and usually faster than women. And, all your alternative genders hasn't changed a thing.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @04:26AM
You might want to check out the stats on hip fractures / old men with a first hip fracture rarely return home because osteoporosis affects the ability of their brittle old bones to mend. Of course one way to avoid this is to die younger than women. A suboptima solution, but hey, keeps dirty old men off the streets
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @04:22AM (1 child)
Stop whining about your hard-earned kickban from #Soylent, Azuma. You deserved it. Stop spamming SN anonymously and accept your one day time out.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @05:34AM
I'm sorry, but it was Runaway that was kick-banned, for being a brittle boned old fart of antique ages. He is so fucking old, that even his grandkids do not know who he is. And now, he is under the thrall of Texan Utilities. Can't get much more Socialist than that.
(Score: 1) by js290 on Thursday February 18 2021, @03:52AM
The Critical Connection Between Protein, Cancer, Aging and TOR [youtu.be]
Healthy Bones [meandmydiabetes.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @04:06AM
I really need some way to stop them aging. You would think that when you killed them, they would just stay nice fresh corpses forever!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 18 2021, @06:57AM
Count them Chinese guys. The best 3rd world research that American tax payers can afford.