Targeting Sugars May Change Treatment of Bone Disorders

Researchers in the United Kingdom and Germany are reporting that one of the most fundamental scientific beliefs about the structure of human bone is incomplete--a finding they say could have far-reaching impact on treatments for osteoporosis and other bone disorders. The study concluded that sugars, not proteins, are the vital organic building blocks that account for bone's toughness and stiffness.

The University of Cambridge's (UK) Drs. David G. Reid and Melinda Duer and Christian Jaeger at and Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing (Berlin, Germany) explained that scientists have long believed that collagen and other proteins were the key organic molecules responsible for stabilizing normal bone structure. That belief has been the basis for existing medications for bone disorders and bone replacement materials. The study is scheduled for the October 16, 2007, issue of the journal Chemistry of Materials,

At the same time, researchers paid little attention to roles of sugars (carbohydrates) in the complex process of bone growth. In the new report, researchers described experiments on mineralization in horse bones using an analysis-imaging tool called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). They discovered that sugars, in particular proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, appear to play a larger role than proteins in regulating the bone mineralization process and may be a key to maintaining healthy bones.

"This could exert a major impact on the pharmacological management of bone disorders by directing novel therapeutic approaches, as it suggests new molecular targets for drug discovery,” the report stated. "It also offers new disease biomarkers for diagnosis.”


Related Links:
University of Cambridge
Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing