Absence of Key Protein, TTP, Rapidly Turns Young Bones Old

A study published in the Journal of Dental Research determined a lack of tristetraprolin (TTP), a protein essential to controlling inflammation, may lead to rapid and severe bone loss, reports ScienceDaily . The researchers found that removing the gene needed to produce TTP from healthy mice caused the animals to develop the bones of much older rodents. Those without the gene lost almost 20 percent of oral bone levels within nine months, while overexpression of TTP led to a 13 percent reduction in bone turnover compared to unaffected mice. "TTP is the brake on the immune system," says University at Buffalo Professor Keith Kirkwood. "Without it, inflammation and bone loss would go unchecked. We don't know all of the reasons why TTP expression decreases with age. So, understanding the factors behind its expression and relationship with bone loss is the first step toward designing therapeutic approaches." The researchers next plan to move their investigation toward human studies, especially among older adults.