The past 15 years have witnessed tremendous progress in the molecular understanding of
osteoblasts, the main bone-forming cells in the vertebrate skeleton. In particular, all of the …

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are multipotent cells, functioning as precursors to a variety
of cell types including adipocytes, osteoblasts, and chondrocytes. Between osteogenic and …

Much of the mammalian skeleton is composed of bones that originate from cartilage
templates through endochondral ossification. Elucidating the mechanisms that control …

The development of the musculoskeletal system is a complex process that involves very
precise control of bone formation and growth as well as remodeling during postnatal life …

Cell-type-specific gene expression is physiologically modulated by the binding of
transcription factors to genomic enhancer sequences, to which chromatin modifiers such as …

Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease characterized by decreased bone mineral density and
the destruction of bone microstructure, which can lead to increased bone fragility and risk of …

Intramedullary stabilization is frequently used to treat long bone fractures. Implants usually
remain unless complications arise. Since implant removal can become technically very …

Bone metabolism consists of a balance between bone formation and bone resorption, which
is mediated by osteoblast and osteoclast activity, respectively. In order to ensure bone …

Epigenetics refers to the study of mechanisms able to influence gene expression in a stable
and potentially heritable manner without altering the DNA sequence. These mechanisms …

Histone acetylation is an important epigenetic mechanism that controls expression of certain
genes. It includes non-sequence-based changes of chromosomal regional structure that can …