Can telomere length predict bone health? A review of current evidence

Sok Kuan Wong; Soelaiman Ima-Nirwana; Kok-Yong  Chin

doi:10.17305/bjbms.2020.4664

Authors

Sok Kuan Wong Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1184-4551
Soelaiman Ima-Nirwana Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kok-Yong Chin Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Renji-Med X Clinical Stem Cell Research Center, Department of Urology, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6628-1552

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2020.4664

Keywords:

Bone health, osteoblast, osteoclast, osteoporosis, telomerase, telomere

Abstract

Telomeres are repetitive DNA sequences located at the end of chromosomes that serve as a protective barrier against chromosomal deterioration during cell division. Approximately 50–200 base pairs of nucleotides are lost per cell division, and new repetitive nucleotides are added by the enzyme telomerase, allowing telomere maintenance. Telomere shortening has been proposed as an indicator for biological aging, but its relationship with age-related osteoporosis is ambiguous. We summarize the current evidence on the relationship between telomere length and bone health in experimental and epidemiological studies, which serve as a scientific reference for the development of novel diagnostic markers of osteoporosis or novel therapeutics targeting telomere and telomerase of bone cells to treat osteoporosis.