title: The Role of the Osteocyte in Bone and Nonbone Disease.
abstract: When normal physiologic functions go awry, disorders and disease occur. This is universal; even for the osteocyte, a cell embedded within the mineralized matrix of bone. It was once thought that this cell was simply a placeholder in bone. Within the last decade, the number of studies of osteocytes has increased dramatically, leading to the discovery of novel functions of these cells. With the discovery of novel physiologic functions came the discoveries of how these cells can also be responsible for not only bone diseases and disorders, but also those of the kidney, heart, and potentially muscle.
authors.affiliation: Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health, VanNuys Medical Science Building, MS 5055, 635 Barnhill Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, VanNuys Medical Science Building, MS 5035, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, 1120 West Michigan Street, Suite 600, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. Electronic address: lbonewal@iu.edu.
authors.forename: Lynda F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Bonewald
mesh_terms: D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000166:cytology*; D000089703:Fibroblast Growth Factor-23; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D010011:Osteocytes / Q000166:cytology*
keywords: Bone disease; FGF23; Osteocyte; Sclerostin; Therapeutics