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Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Co-localization of Cell Lineage Markers and the Tomato Signal
Published on: December 28, 2016
The extended chondrocyte lineage: implications for skeletal homeostasis and disorders
Kwok Yeung Tsang1, Kathryn Se Cheah1
1School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
Abstract:
Endochondral bone formation relies on a finely controlled sequence of chondrocyte proliferation, maturation and hypertrophy that establishes the growth plate which, combined with the deposition of bone upon the cartilage template, mediates longitudinal skeletal growth. Recent lineage studies support a chondrocyte-osteoblast differentiation continuum and the presence of skeletal stem cells within cartilage. The biological significance of the lineage extension and the mechanisms controlling the process are unclear. In this review, we describe recent work on the extended chondrocyte-osteoblast lineage and its contribution to the development, growth and repair of bone and to bone disorders that provides insight into the process and the molecular controls involved. The implications for skeletal homeostasis are discussed.
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