Two Interesting Items - Osteoporosis Message Board

CrohnieToo · 09-25-2005, 09:12 AM

This past week or so I've received two especially interesting news items:

Bone-fat link holds hope for osteoporosis. Shucks, now we've gotta worry about our bone marrow cells having too much fat!!!! At the time of birth, you have just a little bit of fat in the bones of your fingertips. But by age 30 half or more of bone marrow cells are replaced by fat. And in the elderly, almost all the marrow has turned to fat.

There is a stem cell in bone marrow that can turn into fat or bone depending on what signals it receives. Patients with osteoporosis have more fat in their bones than people the same age who do not have the bone-weakening disease.

When they are growing in petri dishes stem cells do not remain stem cells for long. The immature cells quickly start to develop into whatever their genetic programs and the biochemical soup they are grown in directs them to become. In the case of bone marrow stem cells, the cells seemed not to have a preference: They were equally likely to turn into fat or bone. If scientists added glucocorticoids, the drugs known to cause bone loss, the cells turned into fat. And if they added vitamin D3, which is needed to form bone, the cells turned into bone.

Scientists can do the conversion in the lab, taking fat from patients having liposuction. When they add a few chemicals, such as vitamin D and dexa- methasone, it turns into bone. They can see mineralization. It looks like new bone formation.

New Bone Biopsy Study Confirms Unique Dual Mode of Action and Bone Safety of Protelos. Protelos is a new drug just approved in Europe. Protelos is the brand name for strontium ranelate.

Protelos is the first osteoporosis treatment with a dual mode of action. Protelos acts by increasing bone formation AND decreasing bone resorption. This is the first study of bone biopsies which shows clearly that treatment with Protelos is safe and does not alter the bone structure. The results showed that Protelos is safe with no increase in osteoid(a) thickness in the Protelos group and no change in mineralization lag time between both groups. Patients taking Protelos for up to five years produce normal lamellar bone with no mineralization defects (i.e. no sign of osteomalacia, the softening and weakening of bone) and no marrow fibrosis.

peregrine · 09-25-2005, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrohnieToo

Protelos is the first osteoporosis treatment with a dual mode of action. Protelos acts by increasing bone formation AND decreasing bone resorption. This is the first study of bone biopsies which shows clearly that treatment with Protelos is safe and does not alter the bone structure. The results showed that Protelos is safe with no increase in osteoid(a) thickness in the Protelos group and no change in mineralization lag time between both groups. Patients taking Protelos for up to five years produce normal lamellar bone with no mineralization defects (i.e. no sign of osteomalacia, the softening and weakening of bone) and no marrow fibrosis.

And no side effects? I just did some research and found a few sites that list the side effects. I guess you would have to weigh these against other drugs you may be using for Osteo. What particularly caught my eye is that Protelos is also comprised of Aspartame!

CrohnieToo · 09-25-2005, 10:42 AM

Now, Peregrine, I didn't say there were no side effects! Nor did the article. I was only parroting what I read as I did find it of interest and thought that others would too. Not too many osteoporosis clinical trials resort to bone biopsies to verify their results which I found impressive that this trial(s) did.

I've read elsewhere about strontium's use for treating osteoporosis, never with the Protelos brand name included though. In fact, it seems to me that there is more than one form of strontium and that it is not always a "nice" thing to the body in some of its forms. I wasn't paying all that much attention at the time.

taape · 09-25-2005, 01:37 PM

What were the listed side effects?

peregrine · 09-26-2005, 04:40 AM

Chronie,

I wasn't accusing you, really just wondering about the nature of the product and if it was a drug or something along more natural lines. I think that you always communicate very thorough information.

Taape,

I cannot list the sites I visited on this board but you could do a search. Nausea, diarrhea and skin irritations for more "minor" effects. Less commonly reported were blood clots, fainting and seizures. I think the problem with many drugs is the length of time they are tested. Unfortunately, further testing usually comes after the drug has been lab tested and released because if often takes years to see long term effects. As I stated previously,if you opt for an osteo drug it may be a matter of "the devil or the deep blue sea".