運動器の柱：骨疾患の病態と治療

Analysis of Musculoskeletal Systems and Their Diseases. Pathology and therapy for skeletal disorder.

　骨疾患と一言で言っても多くの疾患があり，病態も様々であるが，中には病態の解明が進み，治療標的が見えてきた疾患も出てきた。ここでは，骨粗鬆症と関節リウマチについて解説したい。骨粗鬆症については閉経後骨粗鬆症において，低酸素応答性の代表的な転写因子の１つであるhypoxia inducible factor 1 alphaが活性化し破骨細胞の活性化から骨粗鬆症に至ることが，また関節リウマチについては，転写因子でありシグナル分子でもあるsignal transducer and activator of transcription 3が炎症および関節破壊の慢性化に寄与することが明らかとなってきた。

　There are a lot of skeletal disorders, and the pathogenesis underlying those diseases is varied. However, mechanisms underlying some disorders, particularly osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, were, at least in part, clarified and therapeutic targets for those diseases were identified. Hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha was identified to be required for osteoclast activation in postmenopausal osteoporosis, while signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 was demonstrated to contribute for development of chronic arthritis and joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis.