Osteoporosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Osteoporosis, including details on symptoms, treatment, prevention, causes.

Genetic disorders of the LRP5-Wnt signalling pathway affecting the skeleton.

Koay MA, Brown MA

University of Oxford Institute of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Windmill Road, Headington, OX3 7LD, UK.

Osteoporosis is a common, increasingly prevalent and potentially debilitating condition of men and women. Genetic factors are major determinants of bone mass and the risk of fracture, but few genes have been definitively demonstrated to be involved. The identification of these factors will provide novel insights into the processes of bone formation and loss and thus the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, enabling the rational development of novel therapies. In this article, we present the extensive genetic and functional data indicating that the LRP5 gene and the Wnt signalling pathway are key players in bone formation and the risk of osteoporosis, and that LRP5 signalling is essential for normal morphology, developmental processes and bone health.

Published 11 March 2005 in Trends Mol Med, 11(3): 129-37.
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