Bone Resorption

Introduction
PalindromX offers a custom in vitro bone resorption assay service that is available to the pharma and biotech industries and to other researchers. PalindromX scientists and technical staff have many years experience in developing, undertaking and modifying in vitro resorption assays and we are always willing to discuss the specific needs of customers. Our clients include large international pharma and several biotech companies

The standard assays that we offer are based on the bone slice/dentine disc assay in which osteoclasts excavate authentic resorption lacunae on calcified substrates(1-3). We routinely offer this service with human osteoclasts derived from peripheral blood, but assays using osteoclasts from many other species can be arranged.

Bone Resorption
Bone resorption is brought about by osteoclasts, large multinuclear cells formed from the fusion of mononuclear precursor cells of haemopoetic origin. The state of the art technique for investigating bone resorption in vitro is the bone slice/dentine disc assay, in which osteoclasts are seeded onto resorbable substrates and the excavation of resorption lacunae is measured. This system has been used extensively to investigate the regulation of bone resorption and is now the "gold standard" bone resorption assay. Mature, functioning osteoclasts can be isolated directly from the bone of many species. However, the recent discovery of receptor activate for nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-FKB) lidened (RANKL) has the fundamental factor in inducing osteoclast formation(4) has? led to the development of techniques for generating human osteoclasts and peripheral blood monocytes.

Bone resorption methodologies:

A. Osteoclastogenesis.
Osteoclast precursors are seeded onto glass cover slips and allowed to differentiate into multinucleate osteoclasts.

B. Area of resorption by microscopy.
Osteoclast precursors are seeded onto dentine discs and induced to differentiate. Once mature, the osteoclasts can be treated with test agents over a period from one to seven days and the amount of resorption determined by reflective light microscopy (5).

C. Measurement of C-Terminal Telopeptide (CTx)
C-Terminal Telopeptide (CTx) is a breakdown product of type 1 collagen that is produced specifically during bone resorption (6). Resorption in vitro can be quantified by measurement of CTx released.

PalindromX offers a custom in vitro bone resorption assay service to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and other researchers. PalindromX scientists and technical staff have many years experience in developing, undertaking and modifying in vitro bone resorption assays and we are always willing to discuss the specific needs of customers. Our clients include large international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies

The standard assays that we offer are based on the bone slice/dentine disc assay in which osteoclasts excavate authentic resorption lacunae on calcified substrates(1-3). We routinely offer this service with human osteoclasts derived from peripheral blood, but assays using osteoclasts from many other species can be arranged.