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The Role of Osteocytes in Age-Related Bone Loss

  • Osteocytes (T Bellido and J Klein-Nulend, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The decrease in bone mass and strength during aging has multiple causes. Osteocytes are long-lived cells within the bone matrix that perform a variety of functions, including the control of bone remodeling. Because of their longevity, osteocytes are more likely than osteoclasts or osteoblasts to accumulate molecular damage over time. Osteocytes utilize quality-control pathways like autophagy to remove damaged organelles and macromolecules, and thereby maintain function. When the damage is excessive, cell death pathways such as apoptosis minimize the impact of potential osteocyte dysfunction on the skeleton. The goal of this review is to discuss how dysregulation of these pathways in osteocytes may contribute to the decline in bone mass and strength with age.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA

    Robert L. Jilka & Charles A. O’Brien

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  1. Robert L. Jilka
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  2. Charles A. O’Brien
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Correspondence to Robert L. Jilka or Charles A. O’Brien.

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Robert L. Jilka and Charles A. O’Brien declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Osteocytes

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Jilka, R.L., O’Brien, C.A. The Role of Osteocytes in Age-Related Bone Loss. Curr Osteoporos Rep 14, 16–25 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-016-0297-0

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