Remedy for osteoporosis

A common antibiotic may be as effective as oestrogen in preventing devastating bone loss caused by osteoporosis, suggests a new study conducted in the US. Minocycline, a derivative of tetracycline, not only appears to forestall bone loss but also develop bone density. The study, by C T Liang of the National Institute of Aging in Baltimore, conducted on rats, has immediately prompted the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, to support a clinical trial on humans (Nature Medicine@ Vol 3, No 3).