治疗骨质疏松新靶点：辅助T细胞-17

骨质疏松是一种常见疾病，骨质疏松的病因学和发病机制至今还没有被阐明清楚，目前还没有彻底治疗骨质疏松的方法，但是研究疾病的发病机制可以为骨质疏松患者提供全新的治疗方法。最近的研究表明了辅助T细胞（ Th）在骨量丢失（一种系统性的炎症反应）发病机制中可能存在作用。然而，在一些已经发表的文章中，Th1／Th2细胞在调节破骨细胞的功能上存在着争议，这一争议被新近发现的Th17细胞所解决。 Th17是一种新亚型的T细胞，可以选择性的分泌不同的促炎因子，刺激破骨细胞分裂，已经被证实在炎症动物模型中可以加速骨量的丢失。因此Th17细胞会是未来治疗骨质疏松的目标靶点。

A new therapeutic target for osteoporosis: Th17 cells

Osteoporosis is a commen disease.The etiology and the mechanism of osteoporosis development are not clear so far. Currently there is no method to treat osteoporosis radically.The study of disease development may provide a total new treatment method for osteoporotic patients.Recent studies have suggested that T-helper ( Th) cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of bone loss which is a systemic inflammatory reaction.However, there are contradictions in the published literature regarding the functional role of Th1/Th2 cells in the regulation of the differentiation of osteoclasts.These paradoxes have now been clarified by the recent discovery of Th17 cells.The Th17 cell is a new subtype of the T cell.Th17 cells selectively secret inflamamatory factors, stimulate osteoclastogenesis, and accelerate bone loss in animal models with inflammatory disorders.Thus, Th17 cells might be a promising therapeutic target in the treatment of osteoporosis in future.