EPHs and ephrins: Many pathways to regulate osteoblasts and osteoclasts

Abstract

The EPH/Ephrin family of receptor tyrosine kinases has been shown recently to play important roles in communication between osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and within the osteoblast lineage that regulates the differentiation of these cells. This Perspective provides a brief overview of EPH/Ephrin signaling from work carried out in other cell and organ systems, and reviews the current literature on the actions of these kinases in bone. The EPH/Ephrin family provides multiple signaling pathways that themselves may be important within bone cells. They also interact with other pathways known to regulate osteoblast and osteoclast activity (e.g., FGFs, metalloproteinases, integrins and connexins). EP..