Bone Abstracts

Autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type 2 (ADO2) is a rare genetic disease due to reduced osteoclast function. Clinical manifestations are variable, and in some cases the symptoms, including frequent fractures, osteomyelitis, hematologic and neural failures, are already evident during childhood and worsen with age. In 70% of cases, ADO2 is caused by heterozygous dominant negative mutations of the CLCN7 gene, encoding the Cl−/H+ antiporter type 7. We hypothesized that silen...

Objectives: ADO2 is a genetic bone disease induced by dominant negative mutations of the proton/chloride antiporter ClC7 encoded by the CLCN7 gene. In osteoclasts, ClC7 is crucial for lysosome function and resorption lacuna acidification. However, Clcn7 is expressed in several cell types in various organs, including brain, lungs, kidneys and spleen. Therefore, we asked whether Clcn7 mutations could affect other tissues beyond the bone.<p class="a...

ADO2 is a debilitating genetic bone disease causing multiple fractures and other severe symptoms. A mouse model of ADO2, harbouring the heterozygous Clcn7G213R gene mutation, phenocopies the human syndrome. The Clc7 gene encodes the ClC7 dimeric 2Cl−/1H+ antiporter that is almost ubiquitously expressed, although the mutations hit especially the osteoclasts impairing bone resorption. By immunofluorescence, we observed that the mutant ClC7 ...

We previously demonstrated the involvement of Lcn2 in bone loss induced by mechanical unloading. This prompted us to investigate bone phenotype of Lcn2−/− mice by μCT, which showed an osteopenic phenotype, characterized by 40% lower trabecular bone volume, 50 and 21% lesser trabecular number and thickness, respectively, and 20% higher trabecular separation, compared to WT, while cortical thickness was significantly lower (40%) only in elderly Lcn2<s...

Ancient Egyptians were well known for the art of embalming, performed in the belief that preservation of the body was essential for survival in the afterlife. During the mummification process, internal organs were removed and some of them (lungs, stomach, liver, and intestines) washed, dehydrated with natron, perfumed, and stored in so-called canopic jars, buried with the mummy. Each jar had established contents and its own protective deity. To date, a limited number of studie...

Few drugs generate bone-stimulatory effects via epigenetic mechanisms. Modulation of CpG-residues hydroxymethylation in gene-promoters of key osteoblast-related factors (e.g., DLX5) induces their expression and increases osteoblast differentiation in vitro. The chemical properties of sulforaphane (SFN), a natural compound abundantly present in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, suggest that it may have similar molecular and biological effects. Previous stu...