Glucocorticoid induced bone disorders in children: Research progress in treatment mechanisms

Abstract

Long-term or supra-physiological dose of glucocorticoid (GC) application in clinic can lead to impaired bone growth and osteoporosis. The side effects of GC on the skeletal system are particularly serious in growing children, potentially causing growth retardation or even osteoporotic fractures. Children’s bone growth is dependent on endochondral ossification of growth plate chondrocytes, and excessive GC can hinder the development of growth plate and longitudinal bone growth. Despite the availability of drugs for treating osteoporosis, they have failed to effectively prevent or treat longitudinal bone growth and development disorders caused by GCs. As of now, there is no specific drug to mitigate these severe side effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine shows potential as an alternative to the current treatments by eliminating the side effects of GC. In summary, this article comprehensively reviews the research frontiers concerning growth and development disorders resulting from supra-physiological levels of GC and discusses the future research and treatment directions for optimizing steroid therapy. This article may also provide theoretical and experimental insight into the research and development of novel drugs to prevent GC-related side effects.

Predictors for pathological bone fractures in children undergoing liver transplantation: A retrospective cohort study

“…This phenomenon most probably is explained by the fact that a significant proportion of patients with PF sustained fractures before LT, and thus corticosteroids were avoided in these children, since steroids may increase the risk for PF. 20 This said, current evidence about corticosteroid use and PF is scarce in the pediatric population. Interestingly, a prospective study from 2011 showed that BMD beyond 1 year post-LT was not influenced by corticosteroid exposure, 10 opening the question of bone recuperation after LT.…”

In situ photo-crosslinked hydrogel promotes oral mucosal wound healing through sustained delivery of ginsenoside Rg1

“…have been incorporated into different hydrogels to promote wound healing. However, chronic wounds caused by oral mucosal diseases may face challenges when using these drugs, which can have long-term side effects and are costly ( D'Achille and Morroni, 2023 ; Hua et al, 2023 ). Accordingly, we propose to introduce a biomaterial that contains natural active ingredients, it can closely suit the affected area, resists fluid washing and oral movements, exerts an anti-inflammatory effect, and promotes tissue regeneration.…”