title: Giant cell formation and function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide insight into the current state of understanding regarding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the formation and function of various types of multinucleated giant cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recent studies involving mainly osteoclasts and foreign body giant cells have revealed a number of common factors, for example, vitronectin, an adhesion protein, dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein, a fusion factor, and macrophage fusion receptor, that contribute to giant cell formation and function. Insight into common molecules, receptors, and mediators of adhesion and fusion mechanisms of giant cell formation have been complicated by the wide diversity of species, models, and cell types utilized in these studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These recently identified factors together with the well known osteoclast receptor, alphavbeta3, may serve as potential therapeutic targets for the modulation and inhibition of multinucleated giant cell formation and function. Further studies on intracellular and intercellular signaling mechanisms modulating multinucleated giant cell formation and function are necessary for the identification of therapeutic targets as well as a better understanding of giant cell biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Brodbeck
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002459:Cell Fusion; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015726:Giant Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology; D015743:Giant Cells, Foreign-Body / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D039302:Integrin alphaVbeta3; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D039302:Integrin alphaVbeta3