Studies over the past decade have continued to bring tremendous advances to our understanding of bone biology. New pathways have been discovered and expanded our knowledge of the ways in which genes and gene products affect bone cells and thereby bone mass and bone strength. In Bone Research Protocols, Second Edition, expert researchers in the field detail many methods commonly used to study bone biology. Focusing mainly on in vitro methods, this volume gives techniques for isolation, culture and functional analysis of all bone cell types and details a range of imaging methods, including light and ultrastructural microscopy and live cell imaging. Some important in vivo techniques are included, such as analysis of bone resorption and imaging using X rays, fluorescent or luminescent techniques. Methods for study of proteins and nucleic acid are included and methods for analysis of bone composition, measurement of bone strength, and response to mechanical stimulation are described. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Bone Research Protocols, Second Edition seeks to aid scientists in the bone field to establish new techniques in their laboratories.

The last decade has seen a tremendous advance in our understanding of bone biology. The genes responsible for the majority of rare inherited bone disorders have been identified and much progress has been made in the identification of genes in polygenic disorders such as Paget's disease and complex multigene diseases such as osteoporosis. Transgenic technology has identified further genes, sometimes unexpectedly, with profound effects on bone. This wealth of new genetic information will undoubtedly lead to extensive cell biological studies to understand the mechanisms by which these gene products affect bone mass and bone strength. In Bone Research Protocols a catalogue of protocols has been assembled to perform such mechanistic studies. In the tradition of the Methods in Molecular Medicine series, the chapters are practical laboratory protocols that should enable the reader to carry out the techniques from scratch. To our knowledge this is the first time such a truly practical manual on well-established bone methods has been assembled, and this volume aims to be complementary to and follow on from the more theoretical Methods in Bone Biology, edited by Arnett and Henderson (1).

Studies over the past decade have continued to bring tremendous advances to our understanding of bone biology. New pathways have been discovered and expanded our knowledge of the ways in which genes and gene products affect bone cells and thereby bone mass and bone strength. In Bone Research Protocols, Second Edition, expert researchers in the field detail many methods commonly used to study bone biology. Focusing mainly on in vitro methods, this volume gives techniques for isolation, culture and functional analysis of all bone cell types and details a range of imaging methods, including light and ultrastructural microscopy and live cell imaging. Some important in vivo techniques are included, such as analysis of bone resorption and imaging using X rays, fluorescent or luminescent techniques. Methods for study of proteins and nucleic acid are included and methods for analysis of bone composition, measurement of bone strength, and response to mechanical stimulation are described. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Bone Research Protocols, Second Edition seeks to aid scientists in the bone field to establish new techniques in their laboratories.