Taiwan researchers claim possible cure for osteoporosis

A research team at Taiwan’s National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) says it has discovered that a protein called interleukin (IL)-20 is a key to treating osteoporosis, a disease that lowers a person’s bone density. The discovery by the team led by Ming-Shi Chang, professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, was published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine and has drawn huge attention in the academic circle and the biotechnology industry.

The chief editor of Nature Reviews wrote a research highlight in the September issue of Nature Reviews Rheumatology commenting on this finding, while the Science-Business eXchange had a cover story reporting on the discovery in the same month.

Interleukin (IL)-20 is a protein secreted by the immune system. When it is overproduced, it causes inflammation and destroys tissue, leading to chronic diseases. There are two types of bone cells: osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Bone mineral density is determined by the balance between osteoclasts and osteoblasts. The association between IL-20 and osteoporosis has never been explored.