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  • Year in Review
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Osteoanabolism in 2024

Surveying the landscape of emerging osteoanabolic therapies

Established antiresorptive treatments for osteoporosis only slow down bone loss, and available osteoanabolic therapies — although more effective — have broad limitations. Recent insights into sex-specific systemic regulation of skeletal mass, an enhanced understanding of the cellular complexity of bone marrow and innovative options such as senolytics have fuelled the development of potentially transformative bone anabolic treatments.

Key advances

  • The newly identified osteoanabolic maternal brain hormone CCN3 has broad implications for the treatment of bone loss-related diseases and enhancement of fracture regeneration4.

  • Schnurri 3 is a new targetable WNT inhibitor for treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta and a potential therapeutic target in other bone conditions5.

  • Spatial mapping of the human bone marrow environment in health and disease on the single-cell level provides a platform to identify new cellular interactions and molecular players relevant to osteoporosis7.

  • A randomized controlled trial exploring the benefits of senolytic treatment on bone parameters in postmenopausal women shows promising safety and efficacy data8.

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References

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Correspondence to Thomas H. Ambrosi.

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Ambrosi, T.H. Surveying the landscape of emerging osteoanabolic therapies. Nat Rev Endocrinol 21, 75–76 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-024-01076-7

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