A newly discovered hormone can help build strong bones Maternal Brain Hormone increased bone mass and strength in both male and female mice The hormone also helped broken bones heal quickly in elderly mice WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A newly discovered hormone could help fight and quickly heal broken bones, researchers say. The research team identified Maternal Brain Hormone while trying to figure out why the bones of breastfeeding women remain relatively strong, even as calcium is stripped from the bones to support milk production. It turns out that the neurons of breastfeeding moms secrete Maternal Brain Hormone, and that this hormone protects their bone health.
Bone mass and strength increased in both female and male mice when researchers boosted their levels of Maternal Brain Hormone, results show. Further, the hormone increased healing in bone fractures among elderly mice, essentially causing the broken bone to heal at a rate similar to that of a young mouse. “We’ve never been able to achieve this kind of mineralization and healing outcome with any other strategy,” researcher , an assistant professor at the University of California-Davis, said in a news release.
“We’re really excited to follow it up and potentially apply (the hormone) in the context of other problems, such as regrowing cartilage.” Women are at high risk of osteoporosis during menopause because of declining levels of the female sex hormone estrogen, which normally promotes bon.
