Scientists get new molecular insights on bone loss

Scientists for the first time have clearly seen the molecular structure where a hormone related to osteoporosis attaches to the body, providing valuable insight into potential therapies.

World Health Organization statistics show that around 200 million people suffer from osteoporosis. Figures released by China's National Health Commission showed that nearly 20 percent of Chinese people over age 50 suffer from the disease, and nearly half of the country's population over age 50 had low bone mass.

Zhao Lihua, one of the leading researchers on the team and an associate professor from the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the successful viewing at near-atomic level resolution enabled them to see the exact position of the hormone as it attaches to the receptor, as well as the corresponding reactions.