A new study has revealed details about how the cells that make up our skeleton change as we get older. These changes weaken the bone structure, making bones more fragile and more likely to break. The study is an important step toward finding better treatments for age-related osteoporosis (bone weakness).
The research was done by scientists at the University of Texas at Austin, USA, and was published in the journal Small. The science news site EurekAlert also wrote about it.
Aging Affects Bone Cell Function
Bones are made up of four types of cells:
- Osteoblasts (bone-building cells)
- Osteocytes (main bone cells)
- Osteoclasts (bone-breaking cells)
- Bone lining cells (cells that cover the bone surface)
Osteocytes are the most common type of cells in bones. They play a key role in keeping bones healthy. These cells sense changes in their environment and send signals to control bone growth and breakdown.
As people age or go through stress, these bone cells start aging too. This aging causes changes in the cell’s structure and how they work. It affects their ability to sense signals, which weakens the bones over time.
Old bone cells release harmful molecules that cause inflammation and damage nearby tissues. These aging cells stop dividing but don’t die—they become stiff and hard.
Stiff Cells Weaken Bone Structure
Dr. Maryam Tilton, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas and co-author of the study, explains:
“The structure inside bone cells is like a support frame in a building. If this frame becomes stiff and can’t bend, the building can’t handle stress or change, leading to structural problems. In the same way, when bone cells get stiff, they can’t control bone rebuilding properly, and this leads to bone loss.”
She also adds: “We are studying how mechanical signals might help these old cells return to their healthy state—or remove them completely.”
The research team plans to continue their work by studying how different types of stress affect bone cells and by exploring possible treatments.