Cell Death and Differentiation (2004) 11, S97–S107 & 2004 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 1350-9047/04 $30.00 www.nature.com/cdd Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) induces osteoclast formation from monocyte/macrophage lineage precursor cells CR Yang1, JH Wang2, SL Hsieh3, SM Wang4, TL Hsu3 and lineage. 1,2 Osteoclasts and macrophages are known to have WW Lin*,1 several morphological, cytochemical, and functional charac- teristics in common, and are derived from the same committed 1 Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan population of hematopoietic precursors.3 In vitro studies have University, Taipei, Taiwan shown that osteoclasts in both mouse and humans may form 2 Department of Orthopedic Surgery, National Taiwan University Hospital, directly from precursor cell populations of monocytes and Taipei, Taiwan macrophages.4 3 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Immunology Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan To date, at least two key molecules that are essential and 4 Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National sufficient to the promotion of osteoclastogenesis have been Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan identified, that is, macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M- * Corresponding author: WW Lin, Department of Pharmacology, College of CSF) and the receptor for activation of NF-kB ligand (RANKL).5 Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. Tel: þ 886-2-23123456 M-CSF, which is imperative for macrophage maturation, binds ext. 8315; Fax: þ 886-2-23915297; E-mail:
[email protected] to its receptor on early osteoclast precursors, thereby providing signals required for their survival, proliferation, and differentia- Received 28.10.03; revised 03.12.03; accepted 29.12.03; published online 27.2.04 4,6 Edited by M Piacentini tion.