BACKGROUND We performed a multicenter, open, randomized, clinical study of autologous cultured osteoblast injection for long-bone fracture, to evaluate the fracture healing acceleration effect and the safety of autologous cultured osteoblasts. METHODS Sixty-four patients with long-bone fractures were randomly divided into two groups, i.e. those who received autologous cultured osteoblast inje...

Introduction: Titanium alloy is a commonly used implant material in orthopaedics but improving its interface with bone is a key goal in its application to new tissue engineering approaches. In this project we investigated the osteogenic potential of AC-100 (an active motif from the Matrix Extracellular Phosphoglycoprotein) and in doing so further studies could be carried out on titanium surface...

Dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) is a bone- and teeth-specific protein initially identified from mineralized dentin. Here we report that DMP1 is primarily localized in the nuclear compartment of undifferentiated osteoblasts. In the nucleus, DMP1 acts as a transcriptional component for activation of osteoblast-specific genes like osteocalcin. During the early phase of osteoblast maturation, Ca(2+)...

Indian hedgehog (Ihh) controls multiple aspects of endochondral skeletal development, including proliferation and maturation of chondrocytes, osteoblast development and cartilage vascularization. Although it is known that Gli transcription factors are key effectors of hedgehog signaling, it has not been established which Gli protein mediates Ihh activity in skeletal development. Here, we show t...

UNLABELLED Caloric restriction prolongs life span. Calcium restriction may preserve bone health. In osteoporosis, bone mineral density (BMD) has significantly decreased, due to a lack of osteoblast bone formation. Traditional osteoporosis prevention is aimed at maximizing BMD, but the lifetime effects of continuously maintaining a high BMD on eventual bone health in old age, have not been studi...

The osteoblast-lineage consists of cells at various stages of maturation that are essential for skeletal development, growth, and maintenance. Over the past decade, many of the signaling cascades that regulate this lineage have been elucidated; however, little is known of the networks that coordinate, modulate, and transmit these signals. Here, we identify a gene network specific to the osteobl...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is frequently accompanied by osteosclerotic (i.e., excessive bone production) bone metastases. Although bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) and Wnts are mediators of PCa-induced osteoblastic activity, the relation between them in PCa bone metastases is unknown. The goal of this study was to define this relationship. Wnt3a and Wnt5a administration or knockdown of DKK-1, a Wnt...

TGF-β1 can regulate osteoblast differentiation not only positively but also negatively. However, the mechanisms of negative regulation are not well understood. We previously established the reproducible model for studying the suppression of osteoblast differentiation by repeated or high dose treatment with TGF-β1, although single low dose TGF-β1 strongly induced osteoblast differentiation. The ...

To investigate the function and mechanism of GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2) in osteoblast osteoclast steroid-induced osteonecrosis femoral head (SINFH). Clinical specimens were collected from 40 cases SINFH patients control patients. Then, mouse model was built. Immediately, osteoblasts osteoclasts induced differented pre-osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E1 mononuclear macrophage RAW264.7 mice, respe...