Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

A Novel in vivo Gene Transfer Technique and in vitro Cell Based Assays for the Study of Bone Loss in Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published on: June 8, 2014
[Genetic determinants of osteoporosis]
1Institut kliniké a experimentální medicíny, Praha. jahb@medicon.cz
Abstract:
Osteoporosis is a chronic progressive disease, characterized by higher bone resorption than bone mass accumulation. This leads to reduction of the bone mass, to microarchitectural deterioration of the bone tissue and to the increased risk of bone fracture. Osteoporosis affects predominately postmenopausal females, but it is also diagnosed at elderly males. Although osteoporosis is influenced by various environmental factors (mainly by dietary habits and physical activity), analysis of results obtained from studies with different designs (population-, family-, association- studies) confirmed, that risk of osteoporosis development and risk of osteoporotic fractures are significantly influenced by genetic predispositions. The genetic determination of osteoporosis is not yet completely understood. However, it is clear, that although there are mutations in some genes causing rare form of osteoporosis, osteoporosis is a polygenic disease--it is influenced by common variants (polymorphisms) of several different genes. For example genes for vitamin D receptor, estrogen receptor alpha, collagen type I alpha1, transforming growth factor beta-1 and some others are indicated to play a role in genetic determination of osteoporosis. In this review we summarize our recent knowledge about the genetic determination of osteoporosis.
Related Concept Videos
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Bone Remodeling
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...