New bone remodeling pathway found

Canadian scientists using interferon gamma say they’ve discovered a new pathway that controls bone remodeling.

The McGill University Health Center researchers said interferon gamma is a hormone that holds great promise in repairing bones affected by osteoporosis.

The scientists said tweaking a certain group of multi-potent stem cells called mesenchymal stem cells with interferon gamma may promote bone growth.

We have identified a new pathway, centered on (interferon) gamma, that controls the bone remodeling process both in-vivo and in-vitro, said Dr. Richard Kremer, the study’s lead author and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Axis at the McGill University Health Center. More studies are required to describe it more precisely, but we are hopeful that it could lead to a better understanding of the underlying causes of osteoporosis, as well as to innovative treatments.

The research that included Gustavo Duque, Dao Chao Huang, Michael Macoritto, Xian Fang Yang and Daniel Rivas appears in the journal Stem Cells.