MONTREAL -- More than 3,000 clinicians and scientists will gather this weekend at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal for the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, where they will hear the latest news on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, such as osteoporosis, and on cutting-edge topics such as the microbiome, genetics and epigenetics, and osteoimmunology.
During the meeting, scheduled for Sept. 28 to Oct. 1, participants will have the opportunity to access experts, connect with colleagues, collaborate with researchers from around the globe, expend their knowledge, and obtain feedback on their own research.
To kick off the meeting, two high-profile plenary lectures will provide insight on current thinking about bone formation and rare skeletal diseases. The Gerald D. Aurbach Lecture, entitled "Building Bone by Targeting the Schnurri-3 Pathway," will be given by Laurie Glimcher MD, president of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, while the Louis V. Avioli Lecture, "From Rare Skeletal Diseases to Genetic Determinants of Skeletal Homeostasis," will be presented by Brendan Lee, MD, PhD, who is the chair of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Another important presentation will be the new recommendations on prevention of secondary fractures and the public health crisis of osteoporosis. More than 40 healthcare, bone health, and patient advocacy groups have signed on to these recommendations.
There will also be a focus on bone health in men. While most studies of fracture risk with osteoporosis have involved postmenopausal women, a new Canadian study will address the question of whether men are at increased risk of having additional fractures during the first year after an initial fracture. Another study will provide the first data on the effects of physical activity on bone structure and strength among elderly men.
The risks and benefits of drug holidays with bisphosphonates will continue to be a focus of controversy, with several presentations offering contrasting outcomes.
Several presentations will focus on the safety and efficacy of burosumab (Crysvita), a monoclonal antibody that targets fibroblast growth factor 23 and that was recently approved by the FDA for X-linked hypophosphatemia. In , treatment with burosumab improved the reabsorption of renal tubular phosphate and increased serum phosphorus levels in affected children as well as alleviating pain and severity of rickets. One study to be presented at the meeting will focus on children and early adolescents, and another will include children, ages 1-4 years. A further study will provide the results of a phase II trial of adults with tumor-induced osteomalacia syndrome.
Other topics of interest include the elevated fracture risk among patients with type 2 diabetes who undergo hip replacements, even if their bone mineral density is normal, and how sarcopenia can help predict fracture risk.
An additional event of special interest will be a symposium held the day before the meeting begins, entitled "Skeletal Contributions to Joint Degeneration and Osteoarthritis." This in-depth presentation will feature the expertise of epidemiologists, clinicians, biomechanical engineers, and imaging specialists on the multiple factors associated with joint changes in osteoarthritis.