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Inflammation

Fetal bone growth directly and locally impaired by IL-6

Nature Reviews Rheumatology volume 9, page 505 (2013)Cite this article

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IL-6 suppresses bone growth directly at the growth plate, and IL-1β and TNF work synergistically to trigger this effect by stimulating local IL-6 production. “Our experimental data strengthen the clinical observation of an association between high maternal IL-6 levels and impaired fetal growth,” reports lead investigator Lars Sävendahl from the Karolinska Institutet.

Here, the researchers performed microsurgery on fetal rat metatarsal bones, cultured them with and without cytokines, and monitored bone growth over 12 days. “This unique study allowed us to investigate the local, direct effects of cytokines on bone health,” says Sävendahl. “The organ culture system of fetal metatarsal bones is an ideal ex vivo model system to follow bone growth in a real-time manner under the microscope.”

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER

  1. Fernandez-Vojvodich, P. et al. Interleukin-6 acts locally on the growth plate to impair bone growth. Ann. Rheum. Dis. doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-204112

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  1. Bryony Jones
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Jones, B. Fetal bone growth directly and locally impaired by IL-6. Nat Rev Rheumatol 9, 505 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2013.124

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2013.124

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