Discovering new targets for drug development is therefore a key step towards better therapies.

In a recent study, scientists at Leipzig University in Germany demonstrated that the G protein receptor called GPR133 plays a central role in building and maintaining healthy bone

"If this receptor is impaired by genetic changes, mice show signs of loss of bone density at an early age—similar to osteoporosis in humans," explains Professor Ines Liebscher, lead investigator of the study published in Nature.

The team was able to significantly increase bone strength in both healthy and osteoporotic mice using the substance AP503, which was recently identified as a stimulator of GPR133.

In bone tissue, GPR133 is activated through the interaction of neighboring bone cells and mechanical strain. This triggers a signal that stimulates bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) and inhibits bone-resorbing cells (osteoclasts).

The result is stronger, more resilient bones.

In the future, it could be used both to further strengthen healthy bones and to rebuild weakened ones—for instance, in cases of osteoporosis in women going through menopause.

Great potential for an aging population

In an earlier study, researchers at Leipzig University had already found that activation with AP503 also strengthens skeletal muscle.

"The newly demonstrated parallel strengthening of bone once again highlights the great potential this receptor holds for medical applications in an aging population," says Dr Juliane Lehmann, lead author of the study and a researcher at the Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry.

The Leipzig research team is already working on several follow-up projects to further investigate the role of GPR133 in the body.