While oestrogen is considered as an effective treatment for osteoporosis, it has been seemingly associated with serious side-effects. This treatment is believed to have recipient molecules named oestrogen receptors that cause the body to respond towards oestrogen. Scientists from the Sahlgrenska Academy have now found out a novel way of utilizing the positive effects of oestrogen and discarding the harmful side-effects.
Women apparently suffer from osteoporosis after menopause, when the body’s production of oestrogen decreases. Oestrogen is the hormone that allegedly boosts the bone mass in women. However, women with osteoporosis subjected to oestrogens may face serious side-effects including breast cancer and blood clots. So, experts carried out experiments for introducing an oestrogen treatment that uses the favorable effects of the oestrogen, without leading to side-effects.
In the intial stages, parts of the oestrogen receptor that probably enable oestrogen to act on bone tissue and other tissues were thoroughly studied. Then the favorable effects of oestrogen in bone tissue were differentiated from the adverse effects in other tissues. As a result, Anna Börjesson, PhD student at the Centre for Bone and Arthritis Research at the Sahlgrenska Academy and colleagues were able to develop new, safer oestrogen treatments. It was suggested that evolvement of special oestrogens tailored to bone and only affect a particular part of this type of oestrogen receptor can offer a more targeted and effective treatment for osteoporosis with minimal side-effects.
The research is published in the journal PNAS.