Forum on Aging and Skeletal Health

描述（由申请人提供）：与年龄相关的骨质流失和骨质疏松症是巨大的，并且日益严重的公共卫生问题。根据世界卫生组织的标准，大约有1000万50岁以上的美国人已经患有骨质疏松症，而3300多万人患有“骨质减少症”（类似于“前驱糖尿病”）；到2020年，低骨量人口总数将达到6100万。考虑到这个问题的范围，从童年到衰老，更好地了解决定骨量获得和损失的因素是至关重要的。在机械层面上，近年来我们对衰老基本生物学的理解有了巨大的进步；然而，这些概念与骨骼老化的相关性尚未得到检验。因此，U13提案的目标是将当前老龄化研究的概念与正在进行的和计划中的关于年龄相关的骨质流失和骨折的流行病学、机制和预防/治疗的研究结合起来。本次会议将有助于促进衰老和骨骼研究领域的交流，并寻求推进骨骼衰老的临床和基础研究。因此，本次研讨会的目标是：1)简要总结关于衰老和发育的后果以及遗传、环境和生活方式/行为因素在骨骼完整性改变和骨折风险中的作用的关键科学现状、基础和临床发现；2)确定知识差距和改进方法/技术/资源的需求，以促进健康骨骼老化的研究；3)确定未来研究的机会，旨在促进骨骼健康和降低整个生命周期中骨折的风险。我们将在我们的6个具体目标的背景下解决这些目标，每个目标都与拟议会议议程中的一个会议相关，该议程是与NIH工作人员和美国骨骼和矿物研究协会成员合作制定的：定义营养和身体活动对骨骼增生和损失的影响（目标1）；确定骨质流失和骨折的遗传和可改变的危险因素（目标2）；定义骨结构和细胞活性与年龄相关的变化（目标3）；更好地了解细胞衰老的基本机制（目标4）；了解与年龄相关的骨质流失的生理信号（目标5）；并且，根据目标1-5，确定该领域未来研究的框架以及需要在基础和临床层面解决的关键问题（目标6）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Age-related bone loss and osteoporosis are tremendous, and growing, public health problems. Approximately 10 million Americans over the age of 50 years already have osteoporosis by World Health Organization criteria, while 33 million more have "osteopenia" (analogous to "prediabetes"); the total with low bone mass could reach 61 million by the year 2020. Given the scope of this problem, it is critical to obtain a better understanding of the factors determining the acquisition and loss of bone mass, from childhood to senescence. At a mechanistic level, there have been enormous advances in recent years in our understanding of the basic biology of aging; however, these concepts have not necessarily been tested for their relevance to skeletal aging. Thus, the goal of this U13 proposal is to bring together current concepts in aging research with ongoing and planned studies on the epidemiology, mechanisms, and prevention/treatment of age-related bone loss and fractures. The proposed conference will help to cross-fertilize the aging and bone research communities and seek to advance clinical and basic research on skeletal aging. Thus, the objectives of this workshop are 1) To briefly summarize key state-of-the-science basic and clinical findings on the consequences of aging and development and the role of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle/behavioral factors on alterations in skeletal integrity and fracture risk; 2) To identify gaps in knowledge and needs for improved methodology/technology/resources to facilitate research on healthy skeletal aging; and 3) To identify opportunities for future research aimed at promoting skeletal health and reducing the risk of fractures across the lifespan. We will address these objectives within the context of our 6 Specific Aims, each associated with one of the sessions in the proposed conference agenda, which was developed in a partnership with NIH staff and members of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research: To define the influence of nutrition and physical activity on bone accretion and loss (Aim 1); to identify the genetic and modifiable risk factors for bone loss and fracture (Aim 2); to define age-related changes in bone structure and cellular activity (Aim 3); to better understand basic mechanisms of cellular aging (Aim 4); to understand the physiological signals contributing to age-related bone loss (Aim 5); and, based on the proceedings of Aims 1-5, to identify a framework for future research in this field and the key questions that need to be addressed, both at a basic and clinical level (Aim 6). PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Age-related bone loss and osteoporosis are tremendous, and growing, public health problems. Thus, the goal of this U13 proposal is to bring together current concepts in aging research with ongoing and planned studies on the epidemiology, mechanisms, and prevention/treatment of age-related bone loss and fractures. The proposed conference will help to cross-fertilize the aging and bone research communities and seek to advance clinical and basic research on skeletal aging.