Osteocyte differentiation and function in bone homeostasis

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670773
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Morphological basic dentistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: Nakashima Tomoki 東京医科歯科大学, 医歯(薬)学総合研究科, 教授 (00346959)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 骨生物学 / 骨恒常性 / 骨細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bone is constantly renewed by the balanced action of osteoblastic bone formation and osteoclastic bone resorption both of which mainly occur at the bone surface. This restructuring process called "bone remodeling" is important not only for normal bone mass and strength, but also for mineral homeostasis. Osteocytes, the most numerous and least well studied bone cells, are stellate-shaped cells enclosed within the bone lacuno-canalicular network of bone. Based on the osteocyte location within the bone matrix and the cellular morphology, it is proposed that osteocytes potentially contribute to the regulation of bone remodeling in response to mechanical and endocrine stimuli. To identify the regulation factor of osteocyte differentiation and function, we performed a genome-wide screening of osteocytes and establishment of osteocytogenesis assay system.

Free Research Field

骨代謝学