In a new study in Science, a multi-institutional team led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine has shown in mice that the body’s “pain alarms”―sensory neurons—actually have such a dual function. In the event of a bone fracture, these nerves not only report the trauma, but they also morph into “reconstruction commanders” that actively direct the cellular workforce to rebuild the skeleton.

How sensory neurons aid bone repair

The study reports on and details—for the first time—a network among peripheral afferent neurons, nerves that send signals from all areas of the body to the central nervous system (brain and spinal column), through which the nerves communicate directly with bone-building cells after a skeletal injury, using specific protein signals to stimulate the generation, growth and spread of new, healing bone.