Receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B (RANK) and its ligand, RANKL play critical roles in bone re-modeling, immune function, vascular disease and mammary gland development. To study the interaction of RANK and RANKL, we have expressed both extracellular domain of RANK and ectodomain of RANKL using Escherichia coli expression system. RANK was expressed as an inclusion body first which pro...

RANK/RANKL facilitates migration/invasion via epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in certain malignant tumors. The relationship and mechanism between RANK/RANKL and EMT in endometrial cancer (EC) cells, however, remain unclear. In this study, we firstly showed that RANK/RANKL activation was correlated with EC staging and EMT markers in human EC tissue specimen. RANK/RANKL promoted migration...

INTRODUCTION The relationship of circulating levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) with the expression of these molecules in bone has not been established. The objective of this study was to measure, in humans, the serum levels of RANKL and OPG, and the corresponding levels in bone of mRNA encoding these proteins. METHODS Fasting blood ...

Receptor activator of nuclear factor-ĸB ligand (RANKL) and its decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG) are established as essential determinants of bone health and a dysregulation of this system towards RANKL results in osteoporosis (Rachner et al., 2011). Based on these findings, denosumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against RANKL was developed and has now been approved for the treatment of o...

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) binds the ligand for receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B (RANKL) to prevent association with its receptor RANK and inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. OPG has been reported, recently, to inhibit TNF-related apoptosisinduced ligand (TRAIL)-induced tumor cell apoptosis. This raises the possibility that OPG may play a unique role in regulating these two sign...

Overexpression of EGFR is commonly seen in gastric cancer (GC). However, patients with GC show resistance to anti-EGFR treatments. RAS mutations are rare in GC and cannot explain de novo resistance to EGFR treatments. Therefore, it is particularly important to explore the mechanisms of resistance to anti-EGFR treatments. The RANKL activates the EGFR pathway in osteoclasts, and the RANK is expre...

Objective(s): Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM) is a popular and classic herb in traditional Chineses medicines. The objective is to confirm the effects of aqueous extract of S. miltiorrhiza (ESM) and its main ingredient on the promotion of orthodontic tooth movement and healing of periodontal ligament in rat. Materials and Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n= 150) were divided into five groups: model ...

The TNF family molecule RANKL and its receptor RANK are key regulators of bone remodeling, lymph node formation, and mammary gland development during pregnancy. RANKL and RANK are also expressed in the central nervous systems (CNS). However, the functional relevance of RANKL/RANK in the brain was entirely unknown. Recently, our group reported that the RANKL/RANK signaling pathway has an essenti...

BACKGROUND Human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients exhibit a high propensity to develop skeletal metastasis, resulting in excessive osteolytic activity. The RANKL/RANK/OPG system, which plays a pivotal role in bone remodeling by regulating osteoclast formation and activity, is of potential interest in this context. MATERIALS AND METHODS Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reactio...

AIMS Although increased levels of myocardial receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-κB ligand (RANKL) have been reported in heart failure, the role of this pathway in mediating activation of inflammatory pathways during myocardial remodelling is less well understood. This study sought to determine the role of myocardial RANKL in regulating cytokine expression. METHODS AND RESULTS A marked ...