Departmental Papers (Dental)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
8-10-2014
Publication Source
Nature Medicine
Volume
20
Start Page
1009
Last Page
1017
DOI
10.1038/nm.3586
Abstract
Aging-related bone loss and osteoporosis affect millions of people worldwide. Chronic inflammation associated with aging promotes bone resorption and impairs bone formation. Here we show that Wnt4 attenuates bone loss in osteoporosis and skeletal aging mouse models by inhibiting nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) via noncanonical Wnt signaling. Transgenic mice expressing Wnt4 from osteoblasts were significantly protected from bone loss and chronic inflammation induced by ovariectomy, tumor necrosis factor or natural aging. In addition to promoting bone formation, Wnt4 inhibited osteoclast formation and bone resorption. Mechanistically, Wnt4 inhibited NF-κB activation mediated by transforming growth factor-β–activated kinase-1 (Tak1) in macrophages and osteoclast precursors independently of β-catenin. Moreover, recombinant Wnt4 alleviated bone loss and inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB in vivo in mouse models of bone disease. Given its dual role in promoting bone formation and inhibiting bone resorption, our results suggest that Wnt4 signaling could be an attractive therapeutic target for treating osteoporosis and preventing skeletal aging.
Recommended Citation
Yu, B., Chang, J., Li, J., Kevork, K., Al-Hezaimi, K., Graves, D. T., Park, N., & Wang, C. (2014). Wnt4 Signaling Prevents Skeletal Aging and Inflammation by Inhibiting Nuclear Factor-κB. Nature Medicine, 20 1009-1017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nm.3586
Date Posted: 02 April 2015
This document has been peer reviewed.
Comments
The author manuscript, found here, is titled "Non-Canonical Wnt4 Prevents Skeletal Aging and Inflammation by Inhibiting NF-κB" but was published in its final form as "Wnt4 Signaling Prevents Skeletal Aging and Inflammation by Inhibiting Nuclear Factor-κB."