Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway

Several cytokine receptors have tightly bound Janus kinase or JAK proteins attached at their cytosolic tail. Small signaling molecules such as cytokines, growth hormones, or prolactins bind to the cytokine receptors and initiate their dimerization. The dimerization brings the cytosolic JAKs together that trans-phosphorylate and activates each other. The activated JAKs now phosphorylate cytosolic tails of the cytokine receptors, which serve as binding sites for adaptor proteins such as SH2...

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases

Receptor Tyrosine Kinases

Receptor tyrosine kinases or RTKs are membrane-bound receptors that phosphorylate specific tyrosine on protein substrates. RTKs regulate cellular growth, differentiation, survival, and migration. They contain an extracellular ligand binding domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytosolic tail with intrinsic kinase activity. Several extracellular signaling molecules activate RTKs in one or more ways and relay the signal downstream. Ligands such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) or...

Enzyme-linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are proteins that act as both receptor and enzyme, activating multiple intracellular signals. This is a large group of receptors that include the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family. Many growth factors and hormones bind to and activate the RTKs.
Neurotrophin (NT) receptors are a family of RTKs, including trkA, trkB, and trkC (tropomyosin-related kinase) receptors. TrkA is specific for nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-6, and neurotrophin-7. TrkB binds...

Targets for Drug Action: Overview

Targets for Drug Action: Overview

Drugs target macromolecules to modify ongoing cellular processes. Primary drug targets include receptors, ion channels, transporters, and enzymes.
Receptors are either membrane-spanning or intracellular proteins, which upon binding a ligand, get activated and transmit the signal downstream to elicit a response. Drugs bind receptors, either mimicking the action of endogenous ligands or blocking the receptor activity to bring about a modified response. Nearly 35% of approved drugs target the G...

Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling

Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling

Osteoclasts are cells responsible for bone resorption and remodeling. They originate from hematopoietic progenitor cells present in the bone marrow. Numerous progenitor cells fuse to form multinucleated cells, each with 10-20 nuclei. A single osteoclast has a diameter of 150 to 200 µM. These cells have ruffled borders that break down the underlying bone tissue and release minerals such as calcium into the blood in bone resorption. Osteoclasts cling to bones with their ruffled edges during...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Osteocyte and vascular network in hip osteoarthritis: A multimodal imaging and histological analysis.

Bone·2026

Same author

Improving comparability of microCT assessment and reporting of subchondral bone in mouse models of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis and cartilage·2026

Same author

The Innate and Adaptive Immune Functions of Osteoblast-Lineage Cells.

Current osteoporosis reports·2026

Same author

Accurate quantification of the bacterial inoculum and tissue load in a preclinical model of implant-related infection.

Bone & joint research·2026

Same author

2025 International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection: Summary From the Biofilm Workgroup on Biofilm Formation, Persistence, and Host-Environment Interactions.

Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society·2026

Same author

Role of gut microbiota disruption in prosthetic joint infection: a scoping review.

The Lancet. Microbe·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2025

A RANKL-based Osteoclast Culture Assay of Mouse Bone Marrow to Investigate the Role of mTORC1 in Osteoclast Formation

A RANKL-based Osteoclast Culture Assay of Mouse Bone Marrow to Investigate the Role of mTORC1 in Osteoclast Formation

Published on: March 15, 2018

Is RANKL a potential molecular target in osteoarthritis?

Dzenita Muratovic¹, Gerald J Atkins¹, David M Findlay²

¹Centre for Orthopaedic & Trauma Research, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; Biomedical Orthopaedic Research Group, Centre for Orthopaedic & Trauma Research, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

|December 31, 2023

Summary

Osteoarthritis involves increased bone remodeling under cartilage. Understanding subchondral bone changes and targeting Receptor Activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) may lead to new osteoarthritis treatments.

Keywords:

Bone remodelling OPG/RANK/RANKL Osteoarthritis

More Related Videos

Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness

Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness

Published on: March 18, 2022

Differentiation of Functional Osteoclasts from Human Peripheral Blood CD14+ Monocytes

Differentiation of Functional Osteoclasts from Human Peripheral Blood CD14+ Monocytes

Published on: January 27, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2025

A RANKL-based Osteoclast Culture Assay of Mouse Bone Marrow to Investigate the Role of mTORC1 in Osteoclast Formation

A RANKL-based Osteoclast Culture Assay of Mouse Bone Marrow to Investigate the Role of mTORC1 in Osteoclast Formation

Published on: March 15, 2018

Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness

Software-Assisted Quantitative Measurement of Osteoarthritic Subchondral Bone Thickness

Published on: March 18, 2022

Differentiation of Functional Osteoclasts from Human Peripheral Blood CD14+ Monocytes

Differentiation of Functional Osteoclasts from Human Peripheral Blood CD14+ Monocytes

Published on: January 27, 2023

Area of Science:

Orthopedics
Rheumatology
Cell Biology

Background:

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a joint disease characterized by increased bone remodeling in the subchondral bone (SCB).
SCB remodeling significantly alters joint biomechanics and plays a crucial role in OA initiation and progression.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the current understanding of OA etiology, focusing on SCB events, cells, and cytokines.
To explore the potential of targeting bone remodeling mechanisms for disease-modifying OA treatments.

Main Methods:

Systematic review of existing literature on OA pathogenesis.
Emphasis on cellular and molecular mechanisms within the subchondral bone.

Main Results:

SCB remodeling alters joint microstructure and load-bearing properties, contributing to OA.
Receptor Activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin are key regulators of bone remodeling relevant to OA.
The precise role of RANKL in OA pathogenesis and the efficacy of its neutralization require further investigation.

Conclusions:

Subchondral bone remodeling is a critical factor in osteoarthritis.
Further research into the pathophysiological role of RANKL in OA is warranted.
RANKL presents a potential therapeutic target for osteoarthritis.