Age-related phenotypic alterations in populations of purified human bone precursor cells.

The ability to purify and characterize phenotypic markers of human bone precursor cells provides an important means to study the basis of age- or disease-related changes in osteogenesis. Utilizing immunologically purified and characterized populations of human bone preosteoblast-like cells, we demonstrate that distinct age-related alterations occur in bone cell phenotypic markers, and additionally document the presence of a subpopulation of elderly individuals who express markedly reduced amounts of bone proteins. These findings provide insights into the early phases of bone cell development, and provide a means for evaluating age- and/or disease-mediated changes in bone cell development.