The future of bone formation: pharmacological manipulation of the Wnt signaling pathway

One pathway identified by human genetics as a major player in the control of bone formation is the Wnt signaling pathway [1]. This pathway is crucial for the specification of cell fates, regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Wnt ligands are secreted lipid-modified glycoproteins that signal through a receptor complex comprising a member of the Frizzled family of seven transmembrane domain receptors, and the co-receptor lipoprotein-receptor related proteins (LRPs) 5 or 6.
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