Canonical and Noncanonical Wnt Signaling in Osteoblast and Osteoclast Function

Dr. Westendorf's Skeletal Development and Regeneration Research Laboratory is studying canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling in osteoblast and osteoclast function.

This research project in Dr. Westendorf's lab focuses on the signaling pathways that are impacted by altering Wnt signaling in osteoclast precursors or in osteoblasts.

Mayo Clinic collaborators: Merry Jo Oursler, Ph.D., and Rajiv Kumar, M.D.

Funding source: NIH/NIAMS R01AR65402-01 (Oursler/Westendorf)

Related publications

• McGee-Lawrence ME, Li X, Bledsoe KL, Wu H, Hawse JR, Subramaniam M, Razidlo DF, Stensgard BA, Stein GS, van Wijnen AJ, Lian JB, Hsu W, Westendorf JJ. Runx2 protein represses Axin2 expression in osteoblasts and is required for craniosynostosis in Axin2-deficient mice. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2013; doi:10.1074/jbc.M112.414995.
• Ryan ZC, Ketha H, McNulty MS, McGee-Lawrence M, Craig TA, Grande JP, Westendorf JJ, Singh RJ, Kumar R. Sclerostin alters serum vitamin D metabolite and fibroblast growth factor 23 concentrations and the urinary excretion of calcium. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2013; doi:10.1073/pnas.1221255110.
• Monroe DG, McGee-Lawrence ME, Oursler MJ, Westendorf JJ. Update on Wnt signaling in bone cell biology and bone disease. Gene. 2012; doi:10.1016/j.gene.2011.10.044.
• Pederson L, Ruan M, Westendorf JJ, Khosla S, Oursler MJ. Regulation of bone formation by osteoclasts involves Wnt/BMP signaling and the chemokine sphingosine-1-phosphate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2008; doi:10.1073/pnas.0805133106.
• Westendorf JJ, Kahler RA, Schroeder TM. Wnt signaling in osteoblasts and bone diseases. Gene. 2004; doi:10.1016/j.gene.2004.06.044.