| 1. |
- Moverare-Skrtic, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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Osteoblast-derived NOTUM reduces cortical bone mass in mice and the NOTUM locus is associated with bone mineral density in humans
- 2019
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In: Faseb Journal. - 0892-6638. ; 33:10, s. 11163-11179
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disease, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Currently used osteoporosis treatments substantially reduce vertebral fracture risk, whereas nonvertebral fracture risk, mainly caused by reduced cortical bone mass, has only moderately been improved by the osteoporosis drugs used, defining an unmet medical need. Because several wingless-type MMTV integration site family members (WNTs) and modulators of WNT activity are major regulators of bone mass, we hypothesized that NOTUM, a secreted WNT lipase, might modulate bone mass via an inhibition of WNT activity. To characterize the possible role of endogenous NOTUM as a physiologic modulator of bone mass, we developed global, cell-specific, and inducible Notum-inactivated mouse models. Notum expression was high in the cortical bone in mice, and conditional Notum inactivation revealed that osteoblast lineage cells are the principal source of NOTUM in the cortical bone. Osteoblast lineage-specific Notum inactivation increased cortical bone thickness via an increased periosteal circumference. Inducible Notum inactivation in adult mice increased cortical bone thickness as a result of increased periosteal bone formation, and silencing of Notum expression in cultured osteoblasts enhanced osteoblast differentiation. Large-scale human genetic analyses identified genetic variants mapping to the NOTUM locus that are strongly associated with bone mineral density (BMD) as estimated with quantitative ultrasound in the heel. Thus, osteoblast-derived NOTUM is an essential local physiologic regulator of cortical bone mass via effects on periosteal bone formation in adult mice, and genetic variants in the NOTUM locus are associated with BMD variation in adult humans. Therapies targeting osteoblast-derived NOTUM may prevent nonvertebral fractures.-Moverare-Skrtic, S., Nilsson, K. H., Henning, P., Funck-Brentano, T., Nethander, M., Rivadeneira, F., Coletto Nunes, G., Koskela, A., Tuukkanen, J., Tuckermann, J., Perret, C., Souza, P. P. C., Lerner, U. H., Ohlsson, C. Osteoblast-derived NOTUM reduces cortical bone mass in mice and the NOTUM locus is associated with bone mineral density in humans.
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| 2. |
- Nilsson, Karin H., et al.
(author)
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RSPO3 is important for trabecular bone and fracture risk in mice and humans
- 2021
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 12:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Genetic association signals for fractures have been reported at the RSPO3 locus, but the causal gene and the underlying mechanism are unknown. Here, the authors show that RSPO3 exerts an important role for vertebral trabecular bone mass and bone strength in mice and fracture risk in humans. With increasing age of the population, countries across the globe are facing a substantial increase in osteoporotic fractures. Genetic association signals for fractures have been reported at the RSPO3 locus, but the causal gene and the underlying mechanism are unknown. Here we show that the fracture reducing allele at the RSPO3 locus associate with increased RSPO3 expression both at the mRNA and protein levels, increased trabecular bone mineral density and reduced risk mainly of distal forearm fractures in humans. We also demonstrate that RSPO3 is expressed in osteoprogenitor cells and osteoblasts and that osteoblast-derived RSPO3 is the principal source of RSPO3 in bone and an important regulator of vertebral trabecular bone mass and bone strength in adult mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that RSPO3 in a cell-autonomous manner increases osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. In conclusion, RSPO3 regulates vertebral trabecular bone mass and bone strength in mice and fracture risk in humans.
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| 3. |
- Movérare-Skrtic, Sofia, et al.
(author)
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The bone-sparing effects of estrogen and WNT16 are independent of each other
- 2015
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In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 112:48, s. 14972-14977
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wingless-type MMTV integration site family (WNT)16 is a key regulator of bone mass with high expression in cortical bone, and Wnt16-/- mice have reduced cortical bone mass. As Wnt16 expression is enhanced by estradiol treatment, we hypothesized that the bone-sparing effect of estrogen in females isWNT16-dependent. This hypothesis was tested in mechanistic studies using two genetically modified mouse models with either constantly high osteoblastic Wnt16 expression or no Wnt16 expression. We developed a mouse model with osteoblast-specific Wnt16 overexpression (Obl-Wnt16). These mice had several-fold elevated Wnt16 expression in both trabecular and cortical bone compared with wild type (WT) mice. Obl- Wnt16 mice displayed increased total body bone mineral density (BMD), surprisingly caused mainly by a substantial increase in trabecular bone mass, resulting in improved bone strength of vertebrae L3. Ovariectomy (ovx) reduced the total body BMD and the trabecular bone mass to the same degree in Obl-Wnt16 mice and WT mice, suggesting that the bone-sparing effect of estrogen is WNT16-independent. However, these bone parameters were similar in ovx Obl- Wnt16 mice and sham operated WT mice. The role of WNT16 for the bone-sparing effect of estrogen was also evaluated in Wnt16-/- mice. Treatment with estradiol increased the trabecular and cortical bone mass to a similar extent in both Wnt16-/- and WT mice. In conclusion, the bone-sparing effects of estrogen and WNT16 are independent of each other. Furthermore, loss of endogenous WNT16 results specifically in cortical bone loss, whereas overexpression of WNT16 surprisingly increases mainly trabecular bone mass. WNT16- targeted therapies might be useful for treatment of postmenopausal trabecular bone loss.
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