New therapies

Bone fractures to be healed with vibration

(Bild: contrastwerkstatt)

Vibration helps bones to grow. In a new study, a Swiss research team has now shown how such mechanical stimuli influence the genes in the bones. This should help broken bones heal faster.

The results of their study could form the basis for therapeutic approaches against bone fractures and bone loss, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich announced on Monday. Until then, however, it will probably take some time. "Only when we understand these mechanisms will we be able to develop new therapies based on them," said lead author Ralph Müller.

For their study, the researchers created an atlas of gene activity in healthy mouse bones. To do this, they broke the femurs of four mice. They then supported the healing process with vibration therapy. For each point in the bone, they determined which genes were active during healing and which were not.

This enabled them to show that certain genes were specifically active in the areas of the bone that were subjected to high mechanical stress. Conversely, genes that inhibit bone formation were not active in these areas. 

In future, the findings will be used to offer vibration therapy and to use targeted drugs that activate or inhibit the desired genes.