Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Published : January 6, 2021 6:49 PM IST
osteoporosis, bone health, bone issues, weak bones, osteoporosis treatment, osteoporosis drugs, bone density
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects millions of people across the world. It is a growing global problem which can be defined as the underlying cause of painful, debilitating and life-threatening broken bones known as fragility fractures. The debilitating condition can be treated by making some lifestyle changes and medication. Scientists have been working endlessly to come up with new medicines that can help people with osteoporosis.
In fact, a new study published in the journal Biophysical Journal states that a team of researchers have developed a new form of a drug called calcitonin that can help treat calcium-related disorders.
For the study, a team of researchers developed a stabilized form of human calcitonin, which is a peptide drug already used for people with osteoporosis. According to Elizabeth Topp, Professor, Purdue University in the US., this technology can help make these calcitonin drugs safe and more effective to use. She, along with a research team, created a prodrug form of the peptide hormone to increase its effectiveness as an osteoporosis treatment.
Calcitonin helps with normal calcium hemostasis in humans. When prescribed to osteoporosis patients, calcitonin inhibits bone resorption, resulting in increased bone mass. Unfortunately, human calcitonin undergoes fibrillation in aqueous solution, leading to reduced efficacy when used as a therapeutic. As a substitute, osteoporosis patients have prescribed salmon calcitonin. It does not fibrillate as rapidly but suffers from a low potency and the potential for several adverse side effects.
"Our approach will increase the therapeutic potential of human calcitonin, promising a more effective option to replace salmon calcitonin for osteoporosis and related disorders," Topp added. To decrease the fibrillation propensity and increase the therapeutic benefit of human calcitonin, Purdue researchers phosphorylated specific amino acid residues.
"This technology provides a way to stabilize them in a reversible way so that the stabilizing modification comes off when the drug is given to the patient," Topp said.
Osteoporosis occurs when the body starts to lose too much bone tissues, thereby causing the bones to lose strength and density. It elevates the risk of problems like fractures, which can be debilitating. However, it can be prevented by taking some preventive measures.
(with inputs from IANS)
