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Updated: May 4, 2026

Stimulation of Notch Signaling in Mouse Osteoclast Precursors
Published on: February 28, 2017
DC-STAMP, the key fusion-mediating molecule in osteoclastogenesis
Chengcheng Zhang1, C E Dou, Jianzhong Xu
1Department of Biomedical Materials Science, School of Biomedical Engineering, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China.
Abstract:
As a member of the mononuclear phagocyte system, osteoclasts (OC) absorb the bone matrix and participate in bone modeling by keeping a balance with osteoblasts (OB) and stromal cells. Mature OC derive from the fusion of mononuclear osteoclasts (mOC) and the fusion is considered as the indispensable process for the osteoclastogenesis and absorbing activity of OC. DC-STAMP (dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein) has been validated playing a key role in the fusion of mOC. DC-STAMP is mainly expressed in OC, macrophages and dendritic cells (DC). While DC-STAMP was discovered in DC, more attentions have been paid to DC-STAMP in OC in this decade. This review will mainly focus on the function of DC-STAMP in OC. Studies on DC-STAMP in DC may also provide new sight for the study of DC-STAMP in OC. Since the function of DC-STAMP is still poorly understood and few studies have been implemented for illustration, many issues are still unknown and need to be revealed. We will also discuss these questions in this review.
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