Despite what some people think, bone is not merely a passive component of the body. The skeleton is structurally dynamic and responds to life’s physical stresses with continual equilibration between bone mass loss and reformation. This ensures healing and remodeling in tune with the ebb and flow of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream. Now, researchers at Osaka university have identified a molecule—secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI)—that helps mediate this critical balance, which could be used in the development of new treatments for bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
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Source: Phys.org