[Cytokines and osteogenesis]

Abstract

Many cytokines associate with proliferation, differentiation and activation of osteoblasts which have an important role in osteogenesis. TGF-β, BMP, IGF, FGF, Hedgehog, Notch, IL and WNT signaling pathways and their inhibitors have been revealed to correlate to osteogenesis, and those gene mutations have been shown to cause various bone disorders. It has been suggested that there are common pathways or crosstalk in these cytokine signaling each other, but mechanism of their complicated regulation on osteogenesis has been unclear. It was expected that the knowledge about these cytokines will apply to clinical therapies of bone diseases.