The Role of the Osteocyte in Orchestrating Ageing-related Bone Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease

Current evidence indicates that osteocytes, like endocrine cells, can also affect tissues outside bone by secreting a variety of molecules. This thesis has revealed evidence of crosstalk between bone and brain, and highlights the potential of osteocytes in orchestrating two ageing-related diseases, osteoporosis and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In brief, osteocytes contribute to bone loss by secreting cathepsin K and may also promote pathological alterations in AD through secretion of sclerostin. These findings further advance the knowledge of osteocyte as a multifunctional and dynamic cell, and importantly, represent a novel therapeutic target in osteoporosis and AD.