We analyzed proliferation and differentiation of calvarial osteoblasts derived from Msx2 deficient in comparison with wild type mice. Calvarial osteoblast cultures from five to eight days old Msx2 deficient, heterozygous and wild type mice were studied for difference in proliferation and differentiation. Proliferation rate was assessed by counting cell number, BrdU and Calcein AM labeling. Diff...

BACKGROUND As a culmination of efforts over the last years, our knowledge of the embryonic origins of the mammalian frontal and parietal cranial bones is unambiguous. Progenitor cells that subsequently give rise to frontal bone are of neural crest origin, while parietal bone progenitors arise from paraxial mesoderm. Given the unique qualities of neural crest cells and the clear delineation of t...

Bone undergoes continuous remodelling throughout adult life, and the equilibrium between bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts defines the final bone mass. Here we show that Snail1 regulates this balance by controlling osteoblast differentiation. Snail1 is necessary for the early steps of osteoblast development, and it must be downregulated for their final differentia...

While mammals have a limited capacity to repair bone defects, zebrafish can completely regenerate amputated bony structures of their fins. Fin regeneration is dependent on formation of a blastema, a progenitor cell pool accumulating at the amputation plane. It is unclear which cells the blastema is derived from, whether it forms by dedifferentiation of mature cells, and whether blastema cells a...

spermatogonial stem cell (ssc) technologies provide multiple opportunities for research in the field of biotechnology and regenerative medicine. the therapeutic use of embryonic stem cells (escs) is restricted due to severe ethical and immunological concerns. therefore, we need a new pluripotent cell type. despite well-known role of germ cells in the gametogenesis, some facts apparently show th...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Mechanical loading plays an important role in the regulation of bone mass. However, bone cells are not always under physiological stress. In some cases, bone tissue is subjected to an overloaded mechanical environment. For example, a person who is weight training and a stevedore often experience bone pain, inflammation and other bone fatigue damage symptoms. Icariin is the major...

Bone remodeling relies on a dynamic balance between bone formation and resorption, mediated by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, respectively. Under certain stimuli, osteoprogenitor cells may differentiate into premature osteoblasts and further into mature osteoblasts. This process is marked by increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralized nodule formation. In this study, we induced ...

BACKGROUND It has been indicated that moderate or high dose of X-irradiation could delay fracture union and cause osteoradionecrosis, in part, mediated by its effect on proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts. However, whether low dose irradiation (LDI) has similar roles on osteoblasts is still unknown. In this study, we investigated whether and to what extent LDI could affect the prol...

Limited information is available on the role of MAPK phosphatase 1 (MKP1) signaling in osteoblasts. We have recently reported distinct roles for MKP1 during osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and skeletal responsiveness to parathyroid hormone (PTH). As MKP1 regulates the phosphorylation status of MAPKs, we investigated the involvement of P-ERK and P-p38 MAPKs in MKP1 knockout (KO) early...