Protein could bring hope to brittle bone disease

A discovery in mice could help to treat people with a form of brittle bone disease, BBC News reported, citing a scientific finding.

In an American study, mice were bred with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) and the activity of a protein which shapes and reshapes bones was monitored.

Scientists said intense activity of the protein in the mice was linked to OI.

They said the finding could lead to a new target for treatment, but experts warn the study is in mice and might not apply to humans.

In severe cases, people with OI can have between 200 and 300 fractures by the time they reach age 18, the Brittle Bone Society said. Current treatment is lacking.

Scientists at the Baylor College of Medicine, University of Texas, looked at a protein in mice bred with the condition and compared them to "normal" mice.

They said the activity of transforming growth factor beta (TGF), which co-ordinates the shaping and reshaping of bone, was excessive in mice with OI.

When TGF was blocked with an antibody, the mice's bones withstood "higher maximum load and ultimate strength" and showed "improved whole bone and tissue strength", suggesting "resistance to fracture", the study said.

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