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Review
. 2017 Mar;46(1):1-18.
doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2016.09.003. Epub 2016 Dec 12.

The Role of the Osteocyte in Bone and Nonbone Disease

Lynda F Bonewald  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of the Osteocyte in Bone and Nonbone Disease

Lynda F Bonewald. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

When normal physiologic functions go awry, disorders and disease occur. This is universal; even for the osteocyte, a cell embedded within the mineralized matrix of bone. It was once thought that this cell was simply a placeholder in bone. Within the last decade, the number of studies of osteocytes has increased dramatically, leading to the discovery of novel functions of these cells. With the discovery of novel physiologic functions came the discoveries of how these cells can also be responsible for not only bone diseases and disorders, but also those of the kidney, heart, and potentially muscle.

Keywords: Bone disease; FGF23; Osteocyte; Sclerostin; Therapeutics.

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Figure 1
Figure 1
Defective Osteocyte Function and Disease.
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