Ultrasound Used to Stimulate Bone Cell Mobility

Scientists have demonstrated that the use of medium-intensity focused ultrasound on osteoblasts stimulates the mobility of the cells and triggers calcium release, a process that promotes growth. The technique could provide a foundation for a method to develop nonpharmacologic treatments of osteoporosis, fractures, and other disorders involving bone loss.

Musculoskeletal tissues, such as bone and muscle, have a strong state of dynamic equilibrium in response to mechanical loading and respond to significant stimuli, such as exercise. Research led by Yi-Xian Qin, PhD, a professor, department of biomedical engineering, and director of the orthopedic bioengineering research laboratory at Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY, USA), and colleagues Drs. Shu Zhang and Jiqi Cheng are examining how osteoblasts respond to mechanical signals, such as ultrasound. In laboratory models of murine cells, the researchers created a novel technique to apply an ultrasound form called acoustic radiation force (ARF) for only one minute on a single osteoblastic cell and groups of cells. They consistently found that ARF through focused ultrasound beam triggers cellular cytoskeletal rearrangement, the motility and mobility of the cells, and accelerated intracellular calcium transportations and concentrations.

Dr. Qin’s earlier results with ultrasound include the development of an ultrasound bone-scanning device that is more advanced than existing ultrasound technology and assesses bone parameters beyond mineral density. The device is being developed as a diagnostic tool to predict early bone loss. Dr. Qin and his colleagues are investigating ways to combine this potential diagnostic tool with the ARF technology in the laboratory to identify bone loss and fracture within a bone region, then provide treatment via ARF to promote growth and healing.

The study’s findings were published June 6, 2012, in the journal PLoS ONE.

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