Publications by authors named "Julia Halper"
Osteoporosis is an increasing concern in the aging population worldwide, culminating in increased economic concerns and diminished quality of life. Similarly, disturbances of lipid metabolism and adipocytes accumulate more and more in western societies and need solutions. Adipocytes have recently attracted much interest in relation to their endocrine products, one of which is adiponectin, normally associated with beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, inflammation, and cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by very severe intestinal inflammation associated with extra-intestinal manifestations. One of the most critical ones is bone destruction, which remains a major cause of morbidity and a risk factor for osteopenia and osteoporosis in IBD patients. In various mouse models of IBD, we and other have demonstrated concomitant bone loss due to a significant increase in osteoclast activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell-cell fusion is an evolutionarily conserved process that is essential for many functions, including fertilisation and the formation of placenta, muscle and osteoclasts, multinucleated cells that are unique in their ability to resorb bone. The mechanisms of osteoclast multinucleation involve dynamic interactions between the actin cytoskeleton and the plasma membrane that are still poorly characterized. Here, we found that moesin, a cytoskeletal linker protein member of the Ezrin/Radixin/Moesin (ERM) protein family, is activated during osteoclast maturation and plays an instrumental role in both osteoclast fusion and function.
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- - The study investigates the differences between inflammatory osteoclasts and normal (steady-state) osteoclasts, identifying specific traits and key receptors that regulate these cells during chronic inflammation.
- - Researchers found that the yeast probiotic CNCM I-745 can reduce bone loss in mice with inflammation by targeting the generation of inflammatory osteoclasts.
- - The findings suggest that certain receptors linked to yeast recognition (Tlr2, Dectin-1, Mincle) play a significant role in the differentiation of inflammatory osteoclasts, offering potential new treatments for conditions involving bone loss.
Article Synopsis
- Bone physiology involves a complex interaction between different cell types, including osteoclasts (OCLs), osteoblasts, osteocytes, and mesenchymal stem cells, which all contribute to bone remodeling.
- * OCLs are particularly challenging to study due to their size and low numbers, making it difficult to isolate them for research, especially in mice.
- * The chapter emphasizes the significance of in vitro differentiation of OCLs from sources like murine bone marrow cells and monocytes, highlighting the need for standardized protocols to advance OCL research.
Bone destruction relies on interactions between bone and immune cells. Bone-resorbing osteoclasts (OCLs) were recently identified as innate immune cells activating T cells toward tolerance or inflammation. Thus, pathological bone destruction not only relies on increased osteoclast differentiation, but also on the presence of inflammatory OCLs (i-OCLs), part of which express .
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- The study investigates the link between iron metabolism and cardiovascular disease, revealing that hereditary haemochromatosis is associated with lower cardiovascular risk despite iron imbalances.* -
- Analysis of genetic data showed that variations in the HFE gene lower LDL cholesterol levels in humans, and similar effects were observed in mice lacking the Hfe gene, leading to reduced atherosclerosis.* -
- The researchers identified a mechanism where HFE negatively regulates LDL receptor expression in liver cells and highlighted the role of liver-resident Kupffer cells in cholesterol homeostasis, suggesting new treatment avenues for cholesterol-related issues.*