Wnt therapy for bone loss: golden goose or Trojan horse?
The Wnt pathway has been found to play a role in the development of many tissues and to spur growth and differentiation of adult osteoblasts, sparking interest in its potential clinical application for bone growth. However, when deregulated, this pathway can be oncogenic in some tissues. In this issue of the JCI, Kansara and colleagues reveal that Wnt inhibitory factor 1 is epigenetically silenced in human osteosarcomas and that its absence augments osteosarcoma formation in mice (see the related article beginning on page 837). These observations suggest the need for caution in stimulating the Wnt pathway for therapeutic bone growth.
Department of Medicine, Epigenetics and Progenitor Cell Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA. greg.enders@fccc.edu
Greg H
GH
Enders
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D020868:Gene Silencing; D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051153:Wnt Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C485569:WIF1 protein, human; C118544:Wif1 protein, mouse; D051153:Wnt Proteins