Case Study
Identifying New Osteoporosis Drug Targets
ISSInternational Space Station Study Reveals New Genetic Pathways Involved in Bone Disease
ISS NATIONAL LAB OPPORTUNITY
The ISS provides a unique platform to study mechanisms related to mechanical force and bone disease.
On Earth, gravity is a constant force imparting mechanical resistance on the body and its movements. This resistance is perceived by osteocytes (the most abundant cell type in bone) and translated into cellular signals that regulate bone breakdown and the formation of new bone. Osteocytes trigger bone breakdown in response to decreased mechanical resistance and bone formation in response to increased mechanical resistance. However, the mechanisms that allow osteocytes to sense and respond to mechanical force are unknown. By studying osteocytes in microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment., where mechanical force is removed, the research team could examine the dynamics of osteocyte signaling, mechanical force, and bone health in ways not possible on Earth.
Industries:
Pharmaceutical, Medical
Strategic Focus Area:
Fundamental Science
Research Area:
Bone Disease
Institution:
Boston University
IMPACTFUL OUTCOME
The team discovered new genetic pathways associated with bone disease.
The investigation revealed a surprising connection between osteocyte response to mechanical force and genetic pathways not previously associated with bone disease. The team discovered that many of the changes in gene expression seen in microgravity were part of pathways related to hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) and glycolysis (a form of glucose metabolism). With this discovery, researchers can further explore how these pathways relate to osteocyte behavior and bone disease.
INVESTIGATOR
Paola Divieti Pajevic
Associate professor of molecular and cellular biology, Boston University
This was the first experiment on osteocytes in space, the first on the space station, and the first use of this hardware on the station. So, it was quite interesting to have such success and discover two new pathways that might be important for bone metabolism. We are excited about reproducing this on the ground and performing additional testing.
– Paola Divieti Pajevic, Boston University
APPLICATION
The genetic pathways identified can be targeted to develop new treatments for bone loss.
Because of their association with biological mechanisms related to mechanical force and bone disease, the genes in the identified pathways could represent new targets to develop drugs to treat osteoporosis and other bone diseases. Osteoporosis, in which bones become fragile from excessive bone breakdown, affects more than 200 million people worldwide.
Note: This content is abridged from an article originally published in Upward,
the official magazine of the ISS National Lab.
