Treatment of patients with osteoporosis is a major health care challenge and many pharmaceutical companies are focused on identifying novel therapeutic agents that can stimulate new bone formation. The proposed studies generate new information regarding the effects of Osteoactivin on bone growth in vivo, and its mechanisms of action in regulating bone cell differentiation and function. This information will help in developing new therapeutic strategies to selectively enhance bone formation in patients with significant bone loss.

Samir M Abdelmagid, MD, PhD, graduated with his PhD in bone cell biology at Temple University Medical School. Research Scientist in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Children''s Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA