Researcher Identifies Bone Growth Factors

04-06-2000
Hershey, Pa. --Henry Donahue, Ph.D., associate professor, Penn State's College of Medicine, and director, musculoskeletal research laboratory, received a $1,091,672 grant award from the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging for his proposal, Gap junctions and bone cell response to physical signals. This four-year continuation grant supports ongoing research for Donahue's lab.

According to Donahue, gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) may play a role in cell differentiation (maturity). Donahue explains his research by saying, "Research data show that cells transmit messages by way of chemical signals. These messages 'tell' cells how to act. Our research is specific to osteoblastic (bone) cell differentiation. An undifferentiated (immature) osteoblast cannot make bone. We want to understand what causes an undifferentiated osteoblast to differentiate, that is to mature and make bone." These research findings can lead to significant understanding of diseases marked by bone loss, such as osteoporosis.

Results of Donahue's work has been published recently in two journals. Differentiation of human fetal osteoblastic cells and gap junctional intracellular communication (American Journal of Physiology 278:C278-C315) and Inhibiting gap junctional intercellular communication alters expression of differentiation markers in osteoblastic cells (Bone Dec. 1999).

These results are significant because they demonstrate that cell-to-cell communication contributes to bone cell differentiation and, therefore, bone formation. Identifying factors that result in cell-to-cell communication may lead to agents that can be used to stimulate bone formation. Development of such bone anabolic agents would be useful for treating osteoporosis.

-DONAHUE-

Marsha Elliott (o)(717) 531-4313 email:

M. Steven Bortner (o)(717) 531-8607 email: