TWEAK and TNF regulation of sclerostin: a novel pathway for the regulation of bone remodelling

Abstract

Bone remodelling is the critical process, by which skeletal mass and integrity are controlled. This process is disrupted in a number of bone pathologies, such as osteoporosis, and the focal bone loss that occurs in rheumatoid arthritis, around artificial joint prostheses or that induced by osteolytic tumours. A common feature of conditions that result in a net loss of bone is the presence of elevated levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and evidence has accumulated to show that a chronic inflammatory environment is both catabolic for bone and may also suppress bone formation. Here, we focus on the possible anti-anabolic roles in bone of TNFα and TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK).