E-raamat: Growing Bone

Whitfield (Institute for biological sciences, National research council of Canada, Ottawa) describes in detail anabolic bone-growing drugs--PTHs, or parathyroid hormones--used for bone loss from aging as well as from fractures, bone implants, arthritis, and other causes. He also describes the effects of other drugs, including osteogenic growth peptides, statins, strontium, and surface signaling steroids. Throughout, the focus is on the need for drugs that stimulate bone growth, with details provided of animal and other tests for all contenders. The volume includes an exhaustive (63-page) list of references. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Growing numbers of men and many more women are suffering from crippling bone loss called osteoporosis. By 2050 50% of Americans over 50 will be at risk of, or actually have, osteoporosis. In this book the reader will meet the newest real and possible bone builders and learn how they might work. These include novel steroids, an osteogenic growth peptide (OGP), leptin from both fat cells and osteoblasts and the many kinds of statin that are widely used to reduce blood cholesterol and seem to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. But the spotlight must be directed onto the currently most promising bone growers, the 84-amino acid parathyroid hormone (PTH) and three of its 31- and 34-amino-acid fragments.