Targeting skeletal endothelium to ameliorate bone loss.

TitleTargeting skeletal endothelium to ameliorate bone loss.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2018
AuthorsXu, R, Yallowitz, A, Qin, A, Wu, Z, Shin, DYeon, Kim, J-M, Debnath, S, Ji, G, Bostrom, MP, Yang, X, Zhang, C, Dong, H, Kermani, P, Lalani, S, Li, N, Liu, Y, Poulos, MG, Wach, A, Zhang, Y, Inoue, K, Di Lorenzo, A, Zhao, B, Butler, JM, Shim, J-H, Glimcher, LH, Greenblatt, MB
JournalNat Med
Volume24
Issue6
Pagination823-833
Date Published2018 Jun
ISSN1546-170X
Abstract

Recent studies have identified a specialized subset of CD31endomucin (CD31EMCN) vascular endothelium that positively regulates bone formation. However, it remains unclear how CD31EMCN endothelium levels are coupled to anabolic bone formation. Mice with an osteoblast-specific deletion of Shn3, which have markedly elevated bone formation, demonstrated an increase in CD31EMCN endothelium. Transcriptomic analysis identified SLIT3 as an osteoblast-derived, SHN3-regulated proangiogenic factor. Genetic deletion of Slit3 reduced skeletal CD31EMCN endothelium, resulted in low bone mass because of impaired bone formation and partially reversed the high bone mass phenotype of Shn3 mice. This coupling between osteoblasts and CD31EMCN endothelium is essential for bone healing, as shown by defective fracture repair in SLIT3-mutant mice and enhanced fracture repair in SHN3-mutant mice. Finally, administration of recombinant SLIT3 both enhanced bone fracture healing and counteracted bone loss in a mouse model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Thus, drugs that target the SLIT3 pathway may represent a new approach for vascular-targeted osteoanabolic therapy to treat bone loss.

DOI10.1038/s41591-018-0020-z
Alternate JournalNat. Med.
PubMed ID29785024
PubMed Central IDPMC5992080
Grant ListDP5 OD021351 / OD / NIH HHS / United States
R01 AR068983 / AR / NIAMS NIH HHS / United States
R01 HL126913 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States