Assess the effect of your compounds on bone formation

Bone remodelling occurs throughout life and this process is carried out by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are responsible for the synthesis and resorption of bone, respectively. In order to maintain bone homeostasis, bone resorption and formation must be tightly regulated. An imbalance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity results therefore in skeletal abnormalities. Compounds demonstrating any ability to modulate this balance between resorption and formation of bone are of great therapeutic interest.

We can assess any direct in vitro effects of compounds on human osteoblasts using an in vitro osteoblastogenesis protocol from human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromalcells  (BM-hMSC).

• The study of compounds effect on osteoblast differentiation can be evaluated by assessing: Alkaline Phosphatase enzymatic activity, type I collagen production (C1CP and P1NP) and cell-mediated matrix mineralization by Alizarin Red staining.

Additional key osteogenic markers can be evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) during osteogenic differentiation at either early or late timepoints.

Evaluation of cells-mediated mineralization after 21 days of culture : BMhMSC were cultured for 21 days before staining for calcium deposits visualization (A). Graph in B shows alizarin red optical density (O.D.). Results are presented as mean ± SD. Statistical differences were calculated with a Mann-Whitney test, *: p<0.05.

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