Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Bone adapts to mechanical loading through tightly regulated remodelling processes. Osteoblast differentiation has a central role in bone formation and is influenced by mechanical stimulation. Osteoporosis is characterized by an imbalance in bone remodelling, where bone resorption exceeds bone formation, resulting in reduced bone mass and impaired structural quality. Current therapies primarily target bone resorption, however, their limitations in incomplete restoration of bone microarchitecture and concerns in long-term side-effects highlight the need for novel therapeutic strategies and turning the focus more on bone formation and dual effect drugs. Mechanotransduction pathways are key regulators of osteoblast differentiation and may provide new directions for next-generation therapies. In this context, Fetuin-A has emerged as a mechanosensitive regulator of mineralization and as a potential modulator of bone formation. Previous work from our group identified Fetuin-A as a key protein during evolutionary locomotion transitions in vertebrates. Its role in osteoblast differentiation however remains unclear. This project studied the effects of mechanical stimulation duration on osteoblast differentiation, and the expression changes of Fetuin-A. Human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells were exposed to varying durations of daily mechanical stimulation. The expression of established differentiation markers and Fetuin-A was assessed using Western blotting, supported by alkaline phosphatase and Alizarin Red S staining, and RT-qPCR analysis. The results showed a general trend of increased expression of early differentiation markers. In addition, Fetuin-A expression increased with prolonged mechanical stimulation. However, these trends were not consistently reproduced across repeated experiments. Overall, these results demonstrate the complexity of mechanotransduction and motivate further research on Fetuin-A’s role in bone biology and its potential as a therapeutic target for osteoporosis treatment.
Source: UTUPub (University of Turku)
Author: Korpela, Venla
Language: English
Topic: Bone Metabolism and Diseases
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7221420789