Bone Abstracts

Introduction: Normal mechanical loading potently induces bone formation via effects on osteocytes. Current investigations of mechanical loading of bone do not reflect the interactions of the cells within it, mostly focusing on mechanical loading of osteoblasts in monolayers. Existing 3D models do not elucidate the osteoblast-osteocyte interactions that regulate mechanically-induced bone formation. We developed a novel in vitro 3D co-culture model of bone1 t...

Osteocytes make up >90% of bone cells, are embedded in mineralised matrix where they form a communication network. Osteocytes differentiate from osteoblasts, and are mechano-sensitive. They are very difficult to isolate with a dependence on cell lines for in vitro studies of osteocyte biology. Therefore new methods to study these cells are essential. Recent publications indicate that osteoblasts maintained in in vitro 3D collagen gels may differentiate to...