Melanie Coathup, a professor at the College of Medicine, wants to identify a more effective medicine that may be administered for an extended period of time with few or no adverse effects.
A novel medicine may offer promise for older women suffering from menopausal bone loss and weight gain, according to study by a UCF biomedical engineer.
Melanie Coathup, a scientist at College of Medicine, discovered that P7C3, a medication being researched for neurological illnesses like Alzheimer’s, can effectively avoid postmenopausal symptoms.
“P7C3 has not been investigated for bone loss or osteoporosis before, so this study is significant in discovering a new therapy that may, in the future, help mitigate this major public health issue,” Coathup says.
A decrease in estrogen levels following menopause has been considered to promote osteoporosis in women, but no effective long-term treatment for bone loss exists. Some medicines may raise the risk of bone loss and fracture over time. Others have been associated to an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, as well as some types of cancer.
Coathup’s goal is to develop a more effective medicine that may be taken for a long time with little or no adverse effects.
P7C3 (pool 7, compound 3) is an aminopropyl carbazole, a class of chemicals investigated for potential nervous system therapeutic effects. P7C3 was found in 2010, and it has been demonstrated to protect brain cells.
As a result, scientists are looking at it as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative disorders. It is harmless and non-toxic, and it increases cellular metabolic activity.
Working with postdoctoral researcher Fei Wei, Coathup discovered that P7C3 also protected bones in estrogen-deficient rats.
“Our results are exciting in that the small molecule P7C3 prevented bone loss, so that a healthy volume of bone was maintained, and the bone remained strong — it was more difficult to break with a machine — despite our models having low to no estrogen,” Coathup said in a statement.
“P7C3 has not been investigated for bone loss or osteoporosis before, so this study is significant in discovering a new therapy that may in the future help mitigate this major public health issue,” she said.
Osteoporosis is frequently linked to the overactivity of bone-absorbing cells in the body. Coathup’s study discovered that P7C3 prevented these cells from becoming hyperactive. It also decreased inflammation and induced stem cells to produce bone tissue by activating critical proteins and signaling pathways necessary for healthy bone formation.
The researchers also discovered that P7C3 inhibited weight gain, which is commonly associated with menopause. P7C3 boosted the activity of a beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, which reduced inflammation and promoted fat burning.
