Bone Research Protocols (Methods in Molecular Medicine, 80)

The last decade has seen a tremendous advance in our understanding of bone biology. The genes responsible for the majority of rare inherited bone disorders have been identified and much progress has been made in the identification of genes in polygenic disorders such as Paget’s disease and complex multigene diseases such as osteoporosis. Transgenic technology has identified further genes, sometimes unexpectedly, with profound effects on bone. This wealth of new genetic information will undoubtedly lead to extensive cell biological studies to understand the mechanisms by which these gene products affect bone mass and bone strength. In Bone Research Protocols a catalogue of protocols has been assembled to perform such mechanistic studies. In the tradition of the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, the chapters are practical laboratory protocols that should enable the reader to carry out the techniques from scratch. To our knowledge this is the first time such a truly practical manual on well-established bone methods has been assembled, and this volume aims to be complementary to and follow on from the more theoretical Methods in Bone Biology, edited by Arnett and Henderson (1).

The past decade has witnessed the discovery of many genes with profound effects on bone. In Bone Research Protocols, recognized authorities with extensive hands-on experience present a wide-ranging catalog of laboratory techniques that will help researchers to investigate the mechanisms by which these genes affect bone mass and strength. Described in step-by-step detail, these readily reproducible methods cover such topics as the isolation and culture of bone cells, the preparation of bone tissue for histological and ultrastructural analysis, methods for the measurement of bone strength and for mechanical studies, and how to use digital imaging techniques in the analysis of bone. Though in vitro methods receive central attention, there are also protocols for in vivo analyses of bone formation and resorption.
State-of-the-art and highly practical, Bone Research Protocols offers both beginning and advanced laboratory researchers a major compendium of well-established techniques for studying bone cell function and metabolism.