Determining the 3D protein expression of osteocytes using a Local In Vivo Environment (LivE) imaging approach in aged mice with osteoporosis

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C16.0057

Key words (English)

Ageing; Osteoporosis; PolG; co-morbidity; aged mouse model; imaging; in silico mode; LivE.

Research programs (English)

COST-Action BM1402 - Development of a European network for preclinical testing of interventions in mouse models of age and age-related diseases (MouseAGE)

Short description (English)

Osteoporosis is a disease of ageing that affects millions of elderly people across Europe. Osteocytes are regularly dispersed throughout the bone matrix and appear to be the key mediators of bone remodelling. However, owing to their inaccessible location within the bone matrix, the molecular mechanisms by which osteocytes control bone remodelling remain poorly understood. Identification of the catabolic protein, sclerostin, recently led to the development of anti-osteoporotic therapies. Therefore a further understanding of the molecular processes governing bone remodelling could lead to the identification of alternative molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Studies into the osteocyte network have been unsuccessful in linking osteocyte protein expression patterns to the local micro-mechanical environment in large osteocyte populations. Therefore it is not known which molecular processes are characteristic of steady state or pathological activity in bone. Additionally, oftentimes the animal models used to develop an understanding of osteoporosis do not fully recapitulate senile osteoporosis in humans. Therefore the proposed research plan aims to develop a methodology for investigation of protein expression patterns in relation to the local micro-mechanical environment throughout the osteocyte network using a mouse model with an osteoporotic bone phenotype. The results determined during the first stage of the project will provide data for developm

Partners and International Organizations (English)

AT; BE; HR; CY; DK; EE; FR; DE; EL; HU; IE; IL; IT; LV; LT; NL; NO; PT; RO; RS; SI; ES; TR; UK; USA

Abstract (English)

See short description

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C16.0057