Stronger Bones with Stem Cells

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Recent developments have suggested a possible treatment and therapy that may help to restore bone mass in patients suffering from osteoporosis and some types of cancer. Bone loss is a major cause of hospitalization due to broken bones and fractures in the elderly. In many cases, a severe fracture in this situation may lead to permanent hospitalization and even death.
Mesenchymal stem cells, called MSCs, are cells that originate in the bone marrow. These special stem cells are the basis for the development of other types of cells, including fat and muscle. This occurs through a process called differentiation. New studies broached the possibility that drugs may target and initiate the differentiation of these cells, which will lead to new processes and treatments for regenerating bone mass.

An anti-tumor drug called bortezomib specifically targets mesenchymal stem cells and leads to this differentiation process. Massachusetts General Hospital has shown that people, as well as mice, treated with this anti-tumor drug were effectively able to differentiate the stem cells into water called osteoblasts, which are a cell responsible for bone formation.

Results of these treatments and studies have shown a positive increase in the mass of bone formation as well is recovered bone loss in subjects suffering from osteoporosis. This new anti-tumor drug may lead the way in the treatment of bone loss in patients suffering not only from arthritis, osteoporosis, and various types of cancers such as myeloma, but other conditions that plague bone tissues.

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