AGING ON GENE EXPRESSION OF GROWTH FACTORS IN NORMAL TRABECULAR OSTEOBLASTS

本研究的目的是在细胞水平上确定成骨细胞活性降低的机制，这是缓慢的、与年龄相关的骨丢失阶段的主要原因。 我们的中心假设是，在骨微环境中，与年龄相关的关键生长因子的产生障碍是大多数或所有成骨细胞功能受损的原因。 我们已经开发出最先进的方法，用于分离松质骨中的人小梁成骨细胞，并用于测量相关生长因子的小浓度mRNA。在拟议的研究中，我们将比较相关生长因子的mRNA稳态水平。 在拟议的研究中，我们将比较一组年轻正常成年女性与一组老年正常女性成骨细胞中IGF-I、IGF-II、TGFB和bFGF的稳态mRNA水平，以验证我们的假设。

The purpose of this study is to define the mechanism of decrease in osteoblastic activity at the cellular level, which is principally responsible for the slow, age-related phase of bone loss. Our central hypothesis is that age-related impairment in the production of key growth factors in the bone microenvironment is responsible for most or all of the impaired osteoblast function. We have developed state-of-the-art methods for isolating human trabecular osteoblasts in cancellous bone and for measuring the small concentration of mRNA for the relevant growth factors. In the proposed studies, we will compare steady-state levels of mRNA for the relevant growth factors. In the proposed studies, we will compare steady-state levels of mRNA for IGF-I, IGF-II, TGFB, and bFGF in osteoblasts from a group of young normal adult women with those from a group of elderly normal women to test our hypothesis.