Bone Regeneration Is Regulated by Wnt Signaling

The study investigated the role of Wnt signaling in bone regeneration using TOPgal reporter mice. It was found that Wnt signaling was activated at injury sites, and inhibiting Wnt through Dkk1 expression reduced bone regeneration by 84%. Conversely, a mutation in the Lrp5 Wnt co-receptor, which activates Wnt signaling, resulted in delayed bone regeneration due to prolonged proliferation and delayed differentiation of osteoprogenitor cells. These findings highlighted the critical role of Wnt signaling in bone regeneration and suggested potential therapeutic approaches for enhancing bone formation in clinical settings.