Drugs commonly used to treat blood clots may also protect against bone-wasting osteoporosis, according to a new study of mice that researchers said has significant implications for humans.
Clot-busting drugs like clopidogrel – brand name: Plavix – are used to prevent strokes and to treat heart disease by targeting a substance known as DP2Y12 that plays a critical role in blood clotting. But recent research has found the substance also affects the activity of cells that break down bone.
In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Katherine Weilbaecher and colleagues at Washington University in St. Louis report that mice treated with clot-busting drugs were also less likely to suffer from bone loss.
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The findings suggest such drugs may also be useful for the treatment of osteoporosis.
“We found that [treated] mice … were partially protected from aging-related bone loss… associated with arthritis, tumor growth in bone, and estrogen loss,” the researchers reported.