Impact of senescence on bone quality: lessons from animal models of aging

The association of osteoporotic bone loss and fracture risk with age is becoming increasingly more apparent as the population pyramid continues to shift toward old age. Elucidation of the underlying mechanisms controlling skeletal aging is therefore considered to be of paramount importance in the development of effective therapeutic strategies with which to treat age-related osteoporosis. In this regard, mouse models of premature aging represent an ideal means by which to study the development and pathophysiology of bone loss in the elderly, as well as to test new and novel targeted therapies.