A recent study’s analysis has discovered the role of bone protein osteocalcin, medical researchers said uncovering long-standing mystery of its use. The connotations of this latest discovery may portend new strategies and therapeutic treatments for preventing osteoporosis and decreasing bone fracture risks. Osteoporosis is a long-term disease that affects a large portion of the elderly population around the world and finding an effective means of treating this condition has been unsuccessful so far. More updates about osteoporosis may be found here, http://www.fosamaxclassaction.us/.

The multi-university study group conducted their investigation, which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The study found osteocalcin in the properties of bone fractures creating tiny holes in healthy bones, each measuring only 500 atoms in diameter, within the bones mineral structure. Nanoscale holes, about 500 atoms wide, were found in the healthy bones where the fractures occurred from either falling, tripping, or force of impact; which the research scientists believe were caused by proteins osteopontin and osteocalcin being deformed to form the aforementioned holes. These holes are called dilatational bands and have been noted to function as a defense mechanism which helps in preventing further damage to the surrounding healthy bones. On a related note, the study group noticed that if the bones lacked osteopontin, osteocalcin, or both and were weaker and in the process more prone to fractures if they were damaged with a very strong force.

The team of engineers from other partner universities were headed by Deepak Vashishth who chairs the Department of Biomedical Engineering in Rensselaer, and was also the first to discover evidence of fractures occurring at the nanostructure of bone. Other related universities involved in this research were Villanova University, the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and Yale University.

This discovery of osteocalcin’s role implies great significance for the benefits that other bone proteins may have in granting bones the ability to resist fracture injuries. Vashishth believes that as osteocalcin has been revealed as the point of fracture, strengthening it would also lead to an overall strengthening of the bones.

Osteocalcin is a bone protein first discovered in animals and later in humans when synthesizing vitamin K, but little was understood about it until now. In recent studies, abnormalities in the production of this protein have been associated with type 2 diabetes as well as problems in reproductive health. Osteocalcin’s role in bone structure and mechanics are due to the efforts of Vashishth’s study of this protein.

The study authors believe that more research into the benefits and properties of osteocalcin and similar bone proteins may yield other benefits in treating osteoporosis and preventing fractures.

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