In a paper published in the August 10 issue of Cell, an international group of researchers have found that the skeleton is an active regulator of energy metabolism and acts as an endocrine organ for for sugar regulation.

Mice that lacked the skeleton-derived hormone osteocalcin were shown to have decreased beta cell proliferation, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.

The authors say that the skeleton would be an ideal endocrine organ due to its large surface area.

It would seem to make sense that the load-bearing structure (the skeleton) is linked in some way to the pathway that affects the load (metabolism).

This work was built on an earlier observation that bone reacts to the fat cell-derived hormone leptin. Therefore, if fat cells can talk to bone, why shouldn’t bone talk back?

The current discovery also provides an exciting new therapeutic target for type II diabetes - one of the largest health care markets.

Read more:
Lee et al, Cell: “Endocrine regulation of energy metabolism by the skeleton.”

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