The major event that triggers osteogenesis is the transition of mesenchymal stem cells into bone forming, differentiating osteoblast cells. Osteoblast differentiation is the primary component of bone formation, exemplified by the synthesis, deposition and mineralization of extracellular matrix. Although not well understood, osteoblast differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells is a well-orchestrated process. Recent advances in molecular and genetic studies using gene targeting in mouse enable a better understanding of the multiple factors and signaling networks that control the differentiation process at a molecular level. Osteoblast commitment and differentiation are controlled by complex activities involving signal transduction and transcriptional regulation of gene expression. We review Wnt signaling pathway and Runx2 regulation network, which are critical for osteoblast differentiation. Many other factors and signaling pathways have been implicated in regulation of osteoblast differentiation in a network manner, such as the factors Osterix, ATF4, and SATB2 and the TGF-beta, Hedgehog, FGF, ephrin, and sympathetic signaling pathways. This review summarizes the recent advances in the studies of signaling transduction pathways and transcriptional regulation of osteoblast cell lineage commitment and differentiation. The knowledge of osteoblast commitment and differentiation should be applied towards the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic alternatives for human bone diseases. KeywordsOsteoblast; Runx2; Osterix; ATF4; SATB2; Wnt signaling; TGF-Beta signaling; hedgehog signaling; fgf signaling; ephrin signaling; sympathetic signaling; Review INTRODUCTIONPhysiological bone turnover can be divided into 2 temporal phases: modeling, which occurs during development, and remodeling, a lifelong process involving tissue renewal. Remodeling starts with removal by osteoclasts of matrix, a mixture of insoluble proteins in which type I collagen is predominant (>90%) and a poorly crystalline, chemically modified hydroxyapatite. Following resorption, osteoblasts are recruited to the site, where they secrete and mineralize new matrix. The increased activity of osteoclasts caused by estrogen withdrawal causes bone loss and osteoporosis, a frequent low-bone mass disorder in NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript postmenopausal women leading to structural instability and a high fracture risk. Estrogen deficiency is known to play a critical role in the development of osteoporosis, while calcium and vitamin D deficiencies and secondary hyperparathyroidism also contribute (1). Osteoporosis is a factor in more than 1.5 million fractures each year in the United States alone. Costs have been estimated at more than $17 billion a year, particularly from hip fractures, more than 75% of them in women. A better understanding of bone quality, coming from biochemical markers and refined imaging techniques, will help predict who is most at risk of debilitating fractures. One of the main appro...

Bone regeneration requires interactions between a number of factors including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), growth factors, and transcriptional regulators such as Runx2/Cbfa1 (Runx2). Because each component may provide a unique contribution to the overall osteogenic response, we hypothesized that bone formation may be enhanced by using combinations of complimentary factors. As an initial test of this concept, interactions between BMP2 and Runx2 were examined using adenovirus-based expression vectors (AdCMVRunx2, AdCMV-BMP2) in the pluripotent C3H10T1/2 cell line. Cells transduced with AdCMV-Runx2 strongly expressed osteoblast markers, such as alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin, but formed only a weakly mineralized extracellular matrix in vitro, whereas cells transduced with AdCMV-BMP2 exhibited higher levels of mineralization, but only expressed low levels of Runx2 and osteocalcin mRNA. Significantly, when cells were transduced with optimal titers of both viruses, osteoblast differentiation was stimulated to levels that were 10-fold greater than those seen with either AdCMV-Runx2 or AdCMV-BMP2 alone. To measure in vivo osteogenic activity, virally transduced cells were subcutaneously implanted into immunodeficient mice. Cells transduced with control virus produced only fibrous tissue while those with AdCMV-Runx2 produced limited amounts of both cartilage and bone. In contrast, cells transduced with either AdCMV-BMP2 alone or AdCMV-BMP2 plus AdCMV-Cbfa1 generated large ossicles containing cartilage, bone, and a marrow cavity. However, ossification in the AdCMV-BMP2 plus AdCMV-Cbfa1 group was more extensive in that both mineral content and fractional bone area were greater than that seen in the AdCMV-BMP2 group. Thus, the increased osteoblast differentiation observed with combined adenovirus treatment in vitro is also manifested by increased bone formation in vivo. These results suggest that Runx2 and BMP2 have distinct, but complementary, roles in osteogenesis and that their combined actions may be necessary for optimal bone formation. (J Bone Miner Res 2003;18:705-715)

Intraflagellar transport proteins (IFT) are required for hedgehog (Hh) signalling transduction that is essential for bone development, however, how IFT proteins regulate Hh signalling in osteoblasts (OBs) remains unclear. Here we show that deletion of ciliary IFT80 in OB precursor cells (OPC) in mice results in growth retardation and markedly decreased bone mass with impaired OB differentiation. Loss of IFT80 blocks canonical Hh–Gli signalling via disrupting Smo ciliary localization, but elevates non-canonical Hh–Gαi–RhoA–stress fibre signalling by increasing Smo and Gαi binding. Inhibition of RhoA and ROCK activity partially restores osteogenic differentiation of IFT80-deficient OPCs by inhibiting non-canonical Hh–RhoA–Cofilin/MLC2 signalling. Cytochalasin D, an actin destabilizer, dramatically restores OB differentiation of IFT80-deficient OPCs by disrupting actin stress fibres and promoting cilia formation and Hh–Gli signalling. These findings reveal that IFT80 is required for OB differentiation by balancing between canonical Hh–Gli and non-canonical Hh–Gαi–RhoA pathways and highlight IFT80 as a therapeutic target for craniofacial and skeletal abnormalities.

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Traditionally, nuclear reprogramming of cells has been performed by transferring somatic cell nuclei into oocytes, by combining somatic and pluripotent cells together through cell fusion and through genetic integration of factors through somatic cell chromatin. All of these techniques changes gene expression which further leads to a change in cell fate. Here we discuss recent advances in generating induced pluripotent stem cells, different reprogramming methods and clinical applications of iPS cells.Viral vectors have been used to transfer transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, c-myc, Klf4, and nanog) to induce reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts, neural stem cells, neural progenitor cells, keratinocytes, B lymphocytes and meningeal membrane cells towards pluripotency. Human fibroblasts, neural cells, blood and keratinocytes have also been reprogrammed towards pluripotency. In this review we have discussed the use of viral vectors for reprogramming both animal and human stem cells. Currently, many studies are also involved in finding alternatives to using viral vectors carrying transcription factors for reprogramming cells. These include using plasmid transfection, piggyback transposon system and piggyback transposon system combined with a non viral vector system. Applications of these techniques have been discussed in detail including its advantages and disadvantages. Finally, current clinical applications of induced pluripotent stem cells and its limitations have also been reviewed. Thus, this review is a summary of current research advances in reprogramming cells into induced pluripotent stem cells.

Osteoblasts and osteoclasts are the two major bone cells involved in the bone remodeling process. Osteoblasts are responsible for bone formation while osteoclasts are the bone-resorbing cells. The major event that triggers osteogenesis and bone remodeling is the transition of mesenchymal stem cells into differentiating osteoblast cells and monocyte/macrophage precursors into differentiating osteoclasts. Imbalance in differentiation and function of these two cell types will result in skeletal diseases such as osteoporosis, Paget's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteopetrosis, periodontal disease, and bone cancer metastases. Osteoblast and osteoclast commitment and differentiation are controlled by complex activities involving signal transduction and transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Recent advances in molecular and genetic studies using gene targeting in mice enable a better understanding of the multiple factors and signaling networks that control the differentiation process at a molecular level. This review summarizes recent advances in studies of signaling transduction pathways and transcriptional regulation of osteoblast and osteoclast cell lineage commitment and differentiation. Understanding the signaling networks that control the commitment and differentiation of bone cells will not only expand our basic understanding of the molecular mechanisms of skeletal development but will also aid our ability to develop therapeutic means of intervention in skeletal diseases.

Current clinical therapies for critical-sized bone defects (CSBDs) remain far from ideal. Previous studies have demonstrated that engineering bone tissue using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is feasible. However, this approach is not effective for CSBDs due to inadequate vascularization. In our previous study, we have developed an injectable and porous nano calcium sulfate/alginate (nCS/A) scaffold and demonstrated that nCS/A composition is biocompatible and has proper biodegradability for bone regeneration. Here, we hypothesized that the combination of an injectable and porous nCS/A with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) gene-modified MSCs and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) could significantly enhance vascularized bone regeneration. Our results demonstrated that delivery of MSCs and EPCs with the injectable nCS/A scaffold did not affect cell viability. Moreover, co-culture of BMP2 gene-modified MSCs and EPCs dramatically increased osteoblast differentiation of MSCs and endothelial differentiation of EPCs in vitro. We further tested the multifunctional bone reconstruction system consisting of an injectable and porous nCS/A scaffold (mimicking the nano-calcium matrix of bone) and BMP2 genetically-engineered MSCs and EPCs in a rat critical-sized (8 mm) caviarial bone defect model. Our in vivo results showed that, compared to the groups of nCS/A, nCS/A+MSCs, nCS/A+MSCs+EPCs and nCS/A+BMP2 gene-modified MSCs, the combination of BMP2 gene -modified MSCs and EPCs in nCS/A dramatically increased the new bone and vascular formation. These results demonstrated that EPCs increase new vascular growth, and that BMP2 gene modification for MSCs and EPCs dramatically promotes bone regeneration. This system could ultimately enable clinicians to better reconstruct the craniofacial bone and avoid donor site morbidity for CSBDs.

The Cbfa1/Runx2 transcription factor is essential for osteoblast differentiation. However, levels of Runx2 are often not well correlated with its transcriptional activity suggesting that this factor must be activated either by covalent modification or through interactions with other nuclear components. Runx2 is phosphorylated and activated by the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. This pathway is stimulated in at least two ways: by binding of type I collagen to alpha2beta1 integrins on the osteoblast surface and by treatment of cells with the osteogenic growth factor, FGF2. Protein kinase A (PKA) also may phosphorylate/activate Runx2 under certain conditions. Runx2 activity also is enhanced by factors known to stimulate specific signal transduction pathways such as PTH/PTHrP (signals through PKA and PKC pathways) and BMPs (Signal through Smad proteins). Interactions with Runx2 are complex involving both binding of distinct components such as AP-1 factors and Smads to separate sites on DNA, direct interactions between Runx2 and AP-1/Smad factors and MAPK or PKA-dependent Runx2 phosphorylation. These findings suggest that Runx2 plays a central role in coordinating multiple signals involved in osteoblast differentiation.