Fat's loss is bone's gain.
Osteoporosis, characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue with an increased susceptibility to fractures, is a major public health threat to the elderly. Bone mass homeostasis in adults is maintained locally by the balance between osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption. Haploinsufficiency of PPARgamma, a key transcription factor implicated previously in adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, and glucose homeostasis, has now been shown to promote osteogenesis through enhanced osteoblast formation. These findings support a reciprocal relationship between the development of bone and fat, and may prompt further exploration of the PPAR pathway as a potential target for intervention in osteoporosis.
Pei
Liming
L
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095-1662, USA.
Tontonoz
Peter
P
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000378:metabolism; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism
D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors