How bone-resorbing cells use nutrients to cause bone loss
Official title: Metabolic regulation of osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11267971 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team will test whether blocking a key enzyme that processes the amino acid glutamine can slow bone loss caused by overactive bone-resorbing cells, potentially helping people with osteoporosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $530,902 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR083904-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11267971 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The most likely future trial participants would be people with osteoporosis, for example postmenopausal women or others with high rates of bone resorption.
✕Less likely to help
People whose bone problems stem from low bone formation, mineral defects, childhood bone disorders, or who cannot take metabolism-targeting drugs may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
The researchers are studying how osteoclasts (the cells that break down bone) rely on glutamine to grow and resorb bone. They will use genetic tools and the drug telaglenastat to block the enzyme glutaminase (GLS) in cells and in mice, including an ovariectomy mouse model that mimics postmenopausal osteoporosis. The team will also examine the role of the enzyme GOT2 and glutamine-derived purine synthesis in osteoclast metabolism and differentiation. If blocking these pathways reduces bone resorption in animals, it could point toward new treatments to slow bone loss in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal a new way to slow or prevent bone loss in osteoporosis by targeting glutamine metabolism.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies show blocking glutamine metabolism can limit osteoclast formation and GLS inhibitors have been tested in cancer, but applying GLS inhibition to prevent bone loss in animals or humans is a novel application.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karner, Courtney Michael — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Karner, Courtney Michael
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Veverimer to reduce acid in diet-related bone loss in adults with osteopenia
A medication called veverimer is being tested in adults with osteopenia to see if it helps reduce bone loss by neutralizing excess acid from the diet without causing extra sodium or potassium problems.
-
How RBP-J controls bone loss in arthritis
This work aims to understand how the protein RBP-J and the enzyme Hs2st1 control inflammation-driven bone loss in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
-
Bone marrow inflammation that leads to bone loss
This work looks at how nerve-driven inflammation in bone marrow causes quick bone loss after muscle paralysis, with the goal of helping people who lose muscle use or have paralysis.
-
How glutamine affects bone cell development and bone loss
This study is looking at how an important nutrient called glutamine affects bone cells that break down bone, which could help us find new ways to treat bone loss conditions like osteoporosis.
-
Investigating how muscle paralysis affects bone health
This study is looking at how muscle paralysis affects bone health by checking if inflammation in the bone marrow causes bones to weaken, and it’s aimed at finding ways to help prevent bone loss for people with muscle issues.
-
Understanding how bone cells communicate to improve bone health in older adults
This study is looking at how two important types of bone cells talk to each other to help keep our bones strong, and it aims to find new ways to prevent bone loss as we age, especially for those dealing with osteoporosis.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.