The integrity of bone requires its constant renewal. During the renewal process, microscopic pockets of bone are removed by osteoclasts and replaced by osteoblasts. The balanced activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts is essential for bone health. If osteoclast activity exceeds that of osteoblasts, bone becomes porous and fragile, leading to osteoporosis . If osteoclasts cannot break down or resorb bone during development, the skeleton becomes pathologically dense, as osteoblasts fill the medullary cavity of the bone, where the bone marrow resides, causing osteopetrosis . Osteopetrosis develops during infancy and is potentially lethal. One treatment strategy for some types of osteopetrosis is a bone marrow transplant, which improves the function of hematopoietic cells that give rise to osteoclasts. Studying a mouse model of osteopetrosis in this issue of Nature Medicine , Amling et al . uncover a previously unknown relationship between bone metabolism and calcium absorption in the digestive tract. The findings have implications for the effectiveness of calcium supplements for bone disorders. Bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis are closely linked. Osteoporosis is often accompanied by vitamin D and calcium deficiency, which can impair bone mineralization. When calcium levels are low, parathyroid hormone stimulates the small intestine to absorb
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Stomaching calcium for bone health
Boyce, Brendan F
Follow Nature Medicine
, Volume 15 (6)
Nature Publishing Group (NPG) – Jun 1, 2009
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