MAJOR RESEARCH DISCOVERY ON BONE LOSS: 100-year-old medical mystery solved

London, ON, Feb. 16, 2005 - New research at The University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry has solved a 100-year-old medical mystery. Researchers at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Group in Skeletal Development and Remodeling at Western have discovered how the acid in your body interacts with the cells responsible for bone loss and what can be done to stop it.

“The discovery helps us understand the biological basis of several diseases affecting bone, such as rheumatoid arthritis and the spread of cancer within the skeleton,” says Jeff Dixon, director of the CIHR Group in Skeletal Development and Remodeling and professor of Physiology & Pharmacology and Dentistry at Western. “More importantly, this discovery may lead to the development of drugs that reduce bone loss, without disrupting the rebuilding of normal bone.”

Physicians and researchers have known for the last 100 years that too much acid in your body (known as acidosis) causes bone loss. Acidosis can result from illnesses like kidney disease, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, leading to further medical complications such as osteoporosis.

“Today, approximately 1.4 million Canadians are affected by osteoporosis and by age 65, one in every two women will have osteoporosis," says Dr. Cy Frank, Scientific Director, Institute of
Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) of the CIHR. “As we enter the half-way mark of the Bone and Joint Decade, these findings will have far reaching implications helping us to better understand these diseases, while contributing to an improved quality of life and health care for all Canadians - a key priority of CIHR.”

The research findings were published in the recent edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study was funded through a partnership of CIHR, IMHA and The Arthritis Society, and by the Canadian Arthritis Network—a member of the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence, Canada's flagship science and technology program.

The research team includes postdoctoral fellows Dr. Svetlana V. Komarova and Dr. Alexey Pereverzev, undergraduate dental student Jonathan Shum, and Dr. Stephen Sims, a researcher in the CIHR Group in Skeletal Development and Remodeling and professor of Physiology & Pharmacology.

How the Discovery was Made

To provide answers to how the acid in your body leads to bone loss, the research team examined the role of a protein called NFAT in mediating the effects of acidosis on osteoclasts, the cells responsible for bone destruction.

Researchers found that acidosis triggers a receptor called OGR1 on osteoclasts. This leads to an increase of cytosolic calcium, which activates NFAT leading to bone loss. These findings suggest that new drugs targeted at the OGR1 receptor could stop the bone loss that results from acidosis.

For further information contact:

For more information, please contact Jeff Dixon at (519) 661- 3769; Stephen Sims at (519) 661-3768; or Alison Liversage, Schulich School of Medicine at (519) 661-2111 ext. 81136 or alison.liversage@fmd.uwo.ca.

Note to broadcasters: Western has a VideoRoute service and can arrange live broadcast interviews. Please call (519) 661-2111 ext. 81136 for more information.

The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at The University of Western Ontario comprised of the Schulich School of Medicine and the School of Dentistry offers undergraduate education in medicine, dentistry and medical sciences, and postgraduate training and research programs through 21 basic and clinical departments. It is a leader in patient-centred and community-oriented medical and dental education and in health research.

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