Skeletal Physiology Dysregulation in Obesity: The Role of Growth Hormone

描述（由申请人提供）：肥胖是骨质疏松和骨折的重要危险因素。随着美国肥胖症的日益流行，了解这一人群骨质流失的病理生理学对公众健康具有重要意义。生长激素（GH）是骨稳态的关键介质，在肥胖中显著减少。我们的初步数据表明生长激素/胰岛素样生长因子1系统在肥胖症骨质流失的发病机制中起重要作用。新型成像技术的发展为研究生长激素对骨骼结构和强度的影响提供了机会，这将为肥胖相关骨质流失的发病机制提供见解。了解肥胖骨质流失的病理生理可能有助于确定这一重要并发症的新治疗靶点。我们组建了一个在内分泌学和放射学方面具有丰富经验的以患者为导向的研究团队来进行这些调查。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Obesity is an important risk factor for osteoporosis and fractures. With the growing prevalence of obesity in the U.S., understanding the pathophysiology of bone loss in this population is of importance to public health. Growth hormone (GH) is a critical mediator of bone homeostasis and is markedly reduced in obesity. Our preliminary data suggest an important role for the GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 system in the pathogenesis of bone loss in obesity. The development of novel imaging techniques provides an opportunity to investigate the effects of GH on skeletal structure and strength, which will provide insights into the pathogenesis of obesity related bone loss. Understanding the pathophysiology of bone loss in obesity may help identify new treatment targets for this important complication. We have assembled a team of investigators with extensive experience in patient-oriented research in endocrinology and radiology to perform these investigations.