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Turning on hormone tap could aid osteoporosis fight
July 16, 2008A potential new drug that 'opens the taps' for the release of useful hormones could stimulate new bone growth - and may eventually bring relief to osteoporosis sufferers.
The exciting potential of so-called negative allosteric modulators will be put under the microscope at a special symposium at The Federation of European Pharmacological Societies (EPHAR) 2008 Congress at The University of Manchester, UK, today (Wednesday, July 16).
European pharmacologists meeting in Manchester will present work that focuses on the stimulation of parathyroids - tiny glands located above the thyroids that control the release of the parathyroid (PTH) hormone into the bloodstream.
When the concentration of calcium is too low in the blood's plasma, PTH is released and acts on various tissues to increase the level of calcium in the blood. This calcium then activates the calcium sensing receptor on the parathyroid cell, which then reduces PTH release.
The first POSITIVE allosteric modulator was recently introduced into clinical practice for treating patients displaying high levels of PTH in the plasma - such as those with chronic kidney disease on dialysis and those displaying hypercalcaemia with parathyroid cancer. It mimics the effect of calcium on the receptor and so reduces PTH release.
But now attention is switching to NEGATIVE allosteric modulators, which have been shown in pre-clinical trials to block the effect of calcium on the parathyroid cell and thus increase the release of PTH in the serum.
"Daily administration of a negative allosteric modulator of the calcium sensing receptor should promote a sustained increase of PTH in such a way that it will stimulate new bone formation," said symposium organiser Martial Ruat, a neuropharmacologist at the government funded Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France.
"Now clinical trials will have to demonstrate the effectiveness and suitability of negative allosteric modulators for treating osteoporosis in humans."
While pharmacologists are excited and encouraged by results so far, Dr Ruat says it will be at least another eight to 10 years before negative allosteric modulators are passed for use in patients "Osteoporosis is a complex disease and the timescale might be rather long," says Dr Ruat, who is himself carrying out research to learn more about the potential benefits of both negative and positive allosteric modulators.
He added: "The calcium sensing receptor is also found in the kidney, the intestine, in some vascular and bone cells and also in the brain. We still need to identify the roles of this receptor in these tissues before being able to specify novel applications of these drugs."
Negative and positive allosteric modulators are also being studied by European pharmacologists with a view to identifying the functions of calcium sensing receptors in the control of blood pressure.
University of Manchester
When the concentration of calcium is too low in the blood's plasma, PTH is released and acts on various tissues to increase the level of calcium in the blood. This calcium then activates the calcium sensing receptor on the parathyroid cell, which then reduces PTH release.
The first POSITIVE allosteric modulator was recently introduced into clinical practice for treating patients displaying high levels of PTH in the plasma - such as those with chronic kidney disease on dialysis and those displaying hypercalcaemia with parathyroid cancer. It mimics the effect of calcium on the receptor and so reduces PTH release.
But now attention is switching to NEGATIVE allosteric modulators, which have been shown in pre-clinical trials to block the effect of calcium on the parathyroid cell and thus increase the release of PTH in the serum.
"Daily administration of a negative allosteric modulator of the calcium sensing receptor should promote a sustained increase of PTH in such a way that it will stimulate new bone formation," said symposium organiser Martial Ruat, a neuropharmacologist at the government funded Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France.
"Now clinical trials will have to demonstrate the effectiveness and suitability of negative allosteric modulators for treating osteoporosis in humans."
While pharmacologists are excited and encouraged by results so far, Dr Ruat says it will be at least another eight to 10 years before negative allosteric modulators are passed for use in patients "Osteoporosis is a complex disease and the timescale might be rather long," says Dr Ruat, who is himself carrying out research to learn more about the potential benefits of both negative and positive allosteric modulators.
He added: "The calcium sensing receptor is also found in the kidney, the intestine, in some vascular and bone cells and also in the brain. We still need to identify the roles of this receptor in these tissues before being able to specify novel applications of these drugs."
Negative and positive allosteric modulators are also being studied by European pharmacologists with a view to identifying the functions of calcium sensing receptors in the control of blood pressure.
University of Manchester
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Vitamin D a key player in overall health of several body organs, says UC Riverside biochemist
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Vitamin D deficiency common in patients with IBD, chronic liver disease
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Smoking increases depression in women, study reveals
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Merck's odanacatib increased BMD over 2 years at key fracture sites in Phase IIB study
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Retrospective study analyzes expenses of osteoporosis-related fracture over 3 years
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Majority of osteoporosis patients not receiving calcium and vitamin D with treatment
New research published today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), Montréal, Canada, reveals that less than half (43%) of patients in Europe with osteoporosis are claiming to take both calcium and vitamin D supplementation with their osteoporosis treatment.
Older adults can take medicines more safely and effectively by charting their daily routines
Older adults may be better able to comply with medication regimens by working with providers to fill out simple paper tables that track what they take and when they take it.
Genetic Variants Associated with Vitamin B12
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and their collaborators at Tufts University and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have identified a common genetic influence on B12 vitamin levels in the blood, suggesting a new way to approach the biological connections between an important biochemical variable and deficiency-related diseases.
New studies on the Mediterranean diet confirm its effectiveness for chronic disease prevention
Scientists of the Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos (Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology) of the University of Granada (UGR, Spain) have been doing research into the positive effects of Mediterranean diet's ingredients on health.
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