Many people already take nutritional supplements to help support healthy bones and prevent diseases such as osteoarthritis.

Now, scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease say they have learned more about the process of bone degeneration.

Bone degeneration takes places when cells known as osteoclasts migrate through the blood to the surface of bones. This is usually balanced out by the activity of bone-creating cells called osteoblasts.

However, when someone has a condition such as osteoporosis, the activity of osteoclasts is greater than that of osteoblasts and density is lost.

In this new research, scientists looked at the behavior of immature osteoclasts, including their relationship to a chemical mediator in the blood known as S1P.

“Understanding how immature osteoclasts are recruited to the bone in the first place and targeting the signals that control that migration represents a potential new approach to treating and preventing debilitating joint and bone diseases,” commented Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the NIAID.

Previous research has identified vitamin D as a nutritional supplement that may help prevent bone fractures and other problems caused by loss of bone density.