Isolation of osteoclasts from human leukocyte cones

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Optimising the isolation of osteoclasts from the PBMC component of human leukocyte cones

  • IRAS ID

    269809

  • Contact name

    Helen C. Roberts

  • Contact email

    h.roberts@mdx.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Middlesex University

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    5 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Background

    Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) constitute 3–9% of the human immune cells in the blood and thus can be easily collected and isolated in large amounts from individual human subjects. PBMCs are an important source of precursors of osteoclasts (OCs), the bone-resorbing multinuclear cells, and the inflammatory signalling molecules produced by PBMCs have profound effects on OC activity. Osteoclasts are multinucleated giant cells of haematopoietic origin and have a unique capacity to resorb bone tissue. OCs play key roles in the regulation of bone mass and quality. A deficiency of OCs results in an increased but fragile bone state known as osteopetrosis, while excessive osteoclastic activity underlies the decreased bone mass and fragility fractures seen in osteoporosis.

    Aims
    One of the major technical difficulties in the generation of osteoclasts when working with human material is the ability to obtain osteoclasts from PBMCs. The aim of this study is to optimise a procedure yielding active and mature osteoclasts from the PBMC component of leucocyte cones.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    21/WM/0070

  • Date of REC Opinion

    11 Mar 2021

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion