The substantial investments in human genetics and genomics made over the past three
decades were anticipated to result in many innovative therapies. Here we investigate the …

Osteocytes, former osteoblasts encapsulated by mineralized bone matrix, are far from being
passive and metabolically inactive bone cells. Instead, osteocytes are multifunctional and …

The Wnt-β-catenin signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved cell-cell communication
system that is important for stem cell renewal, cell proliferation and cell differentiation both …

Wnt, a secreted glycoprotein, has an approximate molecular weight of 40 kDa, and it is a
cytokine involved in various biological phenomena including ontogeny, morphogenesis …

Osteoblasts are specialized mesenchymal cells that synthesize bone matrix and coordinate
the mineralization of the skeleton. These cells work in harmony with osteoclasts, which …

Low bone mass and strength lead to fragility fractures, for example, in elderly individuals
affected by osteoporosis or children with osteogenesis imperfecta. A decade ago, rare …

Highlights•Parathyroid hormone has dual anabolic and catabolic actions on the
skeleton.•The OPG–RANKL–RANK pathway is the main mediator of the catabolic actions of …

The past 15 years have witnessed tremendous progress in the molecular understanding of
osteoblasts, the main bone-forming cells in the vertebrate skeleton. In particular, all of the …

Much of the mammalian skeleton is composed of bones that originate from cartilage
templates through endochondral ossification. Elucidating the mechanisms that control …

Long-duration bed rest is widely employed to simulate the effects of microgravity on various
physiological systems, especially for studies of bone, muscle, and the cardiovascular …