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CSF1R+ Macrophages and Osteoclasts Are Essential for Limb Bone Development During Embryogenesis
Felix Ma1,2, Rose Ru Jing Zhou2,3, Matthew Rosin2,4
1Craniofacial Science Graduate Program, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada.
Journal of Developmental Biology
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Inhibiting Colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) in pregnant mice depleted crucial cells, leading to underdeveloped limb bones in offspring. This highlights CSF1R+ cells
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) signaling is vital for macrophage and osteoclast functions.
- The specific roles of CSF1R-expressing cells in embryonic limb development remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of CSF1R inhibition on embryonic limb development using a pharmacological approach.
- To elucidate the function of CSF1R+ cells in mediating limb bone formation during late embryogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Administration of the CSF1R inhibitor PLX5622 to pregnant mice throughout gestation.
- Analysis of embryonic and postnatal limb development, including bone morphology and cellular composition.
Main Results:
- PLX5622 treatment significantly depleted CSF1R-expressing cells, including embryonic osteoclasts, in developing limbs.
- Prenatal CSF1R inhibition resulted in truncated limb bones at postnatal day 1.
- Strain-specific defects in tarsal bone development were observed in CD1 and C57BL/6 mouse strains.
Conclusions:
- Embryonic CSF1R+ cells, particularly osteoclasts, are essential for normal limb bone morphogenesis.
- Pharmacological inhibition of CSF1R provides a model to study the role of these cells in skeletal development.
- Targeting CSF1R signaling may have implications for understanding and treating developmental bone disorders.
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