title: Circulating monocytes: an appropriate model for bone-related study.
abstract: Peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) are an important source of precursors of osteoclasts, the bone-resorbing cells and the cytokines produced by PBMs that have profound effects on osteoclast differentiation, activation, and apoptosis. So PBMs represent a highly valuable and unique working cell model for bone-related study. Finding an appropriate working cell model for clinical and (epi-)genomic studies of human skeletal disorders is a challenge. Peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) can give rise to osteoclasts, the bone-resorbing cells. Particularly, PBMs provide the sole source of osteoclast precursors for adult peripheral skeleton where the bone marrow is normally hematopoietically inactive. PBMs can secrete potent pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which are important for osteoclast differentiation, activation, and apoptosis. Reduced production of PBM cytokines represents a major mechanism for the inhibitory effects of sex hormones on osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. Abnormalities in PBMs have been linked to various skeletal disorders/traits, strongly supporting for the biological relevance of PBMs with bone metabolism and disorders. Here, we briefly review the origin and further differentiation of PBMs. In particular, we discuss the close relationship between PBMs and osteoclasts, and highlight the utility of PBMs in study the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying various skeletal disorders.
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.|Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA.|Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.
authors.forename: H-W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. hshen3@tulane.edu.|Cell and Molecular Biology Department, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA. hshen3@tulane.edu.|Center for Bioinformatics and Genomics, Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal St., Suite 2001, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. hshen3@tulane.edu.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000166:cytology
keywords: Osteoclast; Peripheral blood monocytes; Skeletal disorders