title: Physiology and pathophysiology of the RANKL/RANK system.
abstract: The TNF family molecule RANKL and its receptor RANK are key regulators of bone remodeling, lymph node formation, and mammary gland development during pregnancy. RANKL and RANK are also expressed in the central nervous systems (CNS). However, the functional relevance of RANKL/RANK in the brain was entirely unknown. Recently, our group reported that the RANKL/RANK signaling pathway has an essential role in the central regulation of body temperature via the prostaglandin axis. This review discusses novel aspects of the RANKL/RANK system as key regulators of fever and female basal body temperature in the CNS.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.forename: Toshikatsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanada
authors.forename: Josef M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Penninger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D016723:Bone Remodeling; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000378:metabolism; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000378:metabolism; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000502:physiology*; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D011453:Prostaglandins; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B