Bone Metabolism and Therapeutic Strategies for Osteoporosis
Summary
Bone is a dynamic tissue maintained by a balance between osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption. In healthy adults, these opposing activities are coupled to preserve skeletal strength and mineral homeostasis. With advancing age or hormonal changes—particularly the decline in oestrogen in postmenopausal women—resorption can outpace formation, leading to reduced bone mass, microarchitectural deterioration and increased fracture risk. Conventional treatments include antiresorptive agents such as bisphosphonates and denosumab, which inhibit osteoclast activity, and anabolic therapies such as parathyroid hormone analogues and anti-sclerostin antibodies, which stimulate osteoblast-driven matrix synthesis. Emerging approaches aim to harness bioactive peptides, growth factors and cell-based strategies, and to modulate signalling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, RANK–RANKL–OPG and TGF-β. Nutritional supplementation, novel biomaterials and improved delivery systems are likewise under investigation. Together, these advances seek to restore skeletal integrity, reduce fracture incidence and address the global burden of osteoporosis.
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Bone Metabolism and Therapeutic Strategies for Osteoporosis publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bone metabolism and therapeutic strategies for osteoporosis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Osteoblast: A bone cell responsible for the synthesis and mineralisation of bone matrix.
Osteoclast: A multinucleated cell that degrades bone tissue during remodelling.
Bone remodelling: The coordinated cycle of bone resorption by osteoclasts followed by formation by osteoblasts.
Bone mineral density (BMD): A quantitative measure of mineral content in bone, used as an indicator of strength.
Wnt/β-catenin signalling: A pathway that drives osteoblast differentiation and inhibits bone resorption.
Runx2: A master transcription factor essential for osteoblast lineage commitment and function.
References
- Specific Collagen Peptides Improve Bone Mineral Density and Bone Markers in Postmenopausal Women—A Randomized Controlled Study. Nutrients (2018).
- Blue Mussel-Derived Peptides PIISVYWK and FSVVPSPK Trigger Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling-Mediated Osteogenesis in Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Marine Drugs (2020).
- Novel Soy Peptide CBP: Stimulation of Osteoblast Differentiation via TβRI-p38-MAPK-Depending RUNX2 Activation. Nutrients (2022).
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