Bone metabolism associated with annual antler regeneration: a deer insight into osteoporosis reversal

Abstract

Osteoporosis, a metabolic disorder, remains challenging to treat due to limited understanding of its underlying mechanism. The annual cycle of “cyclic physiological osteoporosis (CPO)” and its full reversal in male deer represents a unique natural model for studying this condition. Deer antlers, weighing up to 25 kg/pair, derive over 60% of their mineral contents from deer skeleton during mineralization. Based on the literature, we propose to divide CPO and its reversal into two phases: Phase I (approximately 115 days): from hard antler casting to the end of antler linear growth, marked by simultaneous robust antler ossification and CPO development; and Phase II (up to 165 days): from end of Phase I to the onset of antler skin shedding, characterized by complete antler mineralization and CPO reversal. This review analyzes the paradoxical occurrence of robust antler ossification and skeleton CPO within the same endocrine microenvironment during phase I; total antler mineralization and full reversal of deer skeleton CPO in phase II. Furthermore, we will discuss potential insights for osteoporosis treatment using deer materials from the period of Phase II. Our goal is to identify novel substances and therapies that could be applied in clinical setting to effectively treat osteoporosis.