Relationships Between Human Osteoblasts and Haemopoietic Cells in Bone Remodelling

骨病，如骨质疏松症和骨关节炎，目前折磨着400多万澳大利亚人。这些疾病的特征是异常的骨重塑，这可能导致骨的净损失（例如骨质疏松症）或异常的骨结构（例如骨关节炎）。我们正在寻求更好地了解调节骨重塑的因素，特别是参与这一过程的细胞。生理性骨重塑是成骨细胞和破骨细胞密切合作的结果。成骨细胞刺激破骨细胞的形成，并在反应部位产生新骨。然而，同一类型的细胞能够同时完成这两项任务的方式尚不清楚。我们的研究旨在增加我们对人类成骨细胞发育的理解，以及导致它们依次具有破骨性和成骨性的因素。我们相信这个过程中的一个重要因素是维生素D，我们将测试这种分子是在骨骼中产生的，并在局部调节骨骼更新的假设。

Bone diseases, such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, currently afflict more than 4 million Australians. These diseases are characterised by abnormal bone remodelling, which can result in a net loss of bone (for example, in osteoporosis) or abnormal bone structure (for example, in osteoarthritis). We are seeking to better understand the factors that regulate bone remodelling, and particularly the cells involved in this process. Physiological bone remodelling results from the intimate collaboration between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoblasts stimulate the formation of osteoclasts and also produce new bone at resporption sites. However, the way that the same type of cell can perform both these tasks, is not clear. Our studies are designed to increase our understanding of the development of human osteoblasts and of the factors that cause them to be sequentially pro-osteoclastic and then pro-osteogenic. We believe that an important factor in this process is vitamin D and we will test the hypothesis that this molecule is produced in bone and acts locally to regulate bone turnover.