Pain treatment in the final years of life is an important issue for the future. Since the elderly population is comprised mainly of women, pain treatment of the elderly becomes a gender issue. It will be important to identify novel pain treatment regimens for the elderly. Another important goal for the future is to develop guidelines for studies of the role of gender in the development of persistent pain and for the identification of pain therapeutics that best suit women and men. A summary of the gender and pain conference and scientific abstracts of the speakers will be accessible through the NIH website.
Bone is a dynamic tissue that changes continually throughout life.
In aging bone, the balance often shifts, resulting in osteoporosis, a skeletal disease characterized by loss of bone mass, architectural deterioration and an increased risk of fracture. Oral bone can be affected as well, leaving the mandible and maxilla less able to support teeth, especially during periodontal infection. Approximately 1.5 million cases of osteoporosis-related fractures are reported annually. Investigators at the NIDR are creating in vivo and in vitro model systems to establish the mechanisms by which bone is formed and destroyed due to genetic mutations or changes in the levels of estrogen at menopause. In vivo models of bone formation and dysfunction with special emphasis on the characterization of the extracellular matrix of tissues that become calcified are being pursued within the NIDR Intramural Division.