Structure of human bones vastly different than previously thought

Structure of human bones vastly different than previously thought

Specialized sugars play an important role in bone mineralization.

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Treatment Of Osteoporosis Questioned Following New Research On Structure Of
Bones
Medical News Today 17 Oct 2007

Researchers have discovered that the structure of human bones is vastly
different than previously believed -- findings which will have implications
for how some debilitating bone disorders are treated.

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Animal Health Trust in
Newmarket, and the BAM Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing,
Berlin, have discovered that the characteristic toughness and stiffness of
bone is predominantly due to the presence of specialized sugars, not
proteins, as had been previous believed. Their findings could have sweeping
impacts on treatments for osteoporosis and other bone disorders.

Scientists have long held the view that collagen and other proteins were the
key molecules responsible for stabilizing normal bone structure. That belief
has been the basis for some existing medications for bone disorders and bone
replacement materials. At the same time, researchers paid little attention
to the roles of sugars (carbohydrates) in the complex process of bone
growth.

For this research, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council (BBSRC), the UK and Berlin teams studied mineralization in
horse bones using an analysis tool called nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).
They found that sugars, particularly proteoglycans (PGs) and
glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), appear to play a role which is as important as
proteins in controlling bone mineralization -- the process by which
newly-formed bone is hardened with minerals such as calcium phosphate.

Read the full article:
* w w w .medicalnewstoday . com /articles/85826.php

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Juhana

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