Molecules released by bones under physical force can drastically improve brain health

Amazing stuff!

"Research in mice and pigs has revealed that molecules released by bones under physical force can drastically improve brain health. “... as it reveals a previously underappreciated bone-brain communication system and could potentially lead to new therapeutic approaches in the future,” ... 

Daily shin bone compression over five days improved physical and mental recovery from traumatic brain injury, which wasn’t seen when Piezo1 — an ion channel that opens when bones sense force — was knocked out.

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the inflammatory protein PF4 and the neurotransmitter dopamine were all elevated in the treated mice compared to controls. Injecting these three molecules directly into the brain helped recovery without bone compression."

From the abstract:

"Traumatic brain injury (TBI) accelerates bone healing and induces heterotopic ossification, raising the question of whether an injured brain benefits from bone. Here we reveal that dynamic compressive tibial axial loading (DCTAL), a model of tibial bone compression, increased survival and promoted motor and cognitive recovery after stroke and TBI in mice, as well as in pig TBI models.

DCTAL reduced neuron loss, attenuated chronic inflammation and astrogliosis and stimulated neuronal regeneration after TBI.

Deletion of the mechanosensory channel Piezo1 in osteocytes reversed these benefits, while serum from DCTAL mice recapitulated them.

Osteocytes transduced mechanical signals to directly secrete factors such as IL-1R2, APOL11a and HSP70, while indirectly increasing serum levels of BDNF, PF4 and dopamine.

These factors synergistically protected against TBI. Altogether, we establish a bone–brain axis in which bone endocrine function can be modulated by mechanical forces to enhance brain repair after injury."

Nature Briefing: Translational Research

Compressing bones releases molecules that ease traumatic brain injuries

Tibial bone compression promotes recovery after brain injury through osteocyte PIEZO1 (no public access, I could not find a preprint version of this paper)

Osteocytes (orange, oval-shaped) release molecules that improve brain health when put under pressure.