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World J Stem Cells. Feb 26, 2024; 16(2): 102-113
Published online Feb 26, 2024. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i2.102
Crosstalk between Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein signaling during osteogenic differentiation
Pakkath Narayanan Arya, Iyyappan Saranya, Nagarajan Selvamurugan
Pakkath Narayanan Arya, Iyyappan Saranya, Nagarajan Selvamurugan, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur 603203, India
Author contributions: Arya PN and Saranya I conceptualized and wrote the manuscript; Selvamurugan N reviewed and edited the manuscript and secured funding for this work.
Supported by Indian Council of Medical Research, 2020-0282/SCR/ADHOC-BMS; and Department of Science and Technology, India, DST/INSPIRE Fellowship: 2021/IF210073.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nagarajan Selvamurugan, PhD, Professor, Department of Biotechnology, School of Bioengineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu, Kattankulathur 603203, India. selvamun@srmist.edu.in
Received: October 22, 2023
Peer-review started: October 22, 2023
First decision: December 25, 2023
Revised: January 4, 2024
Accepted: January 22, 2024
Article in press: January 22, 2024
Published online: February 26, 2024
Processing time: 126 Days and 14.7 Hours
Abstract

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) originate from many sources, including the bone marrow and adipose tissue, and differentiate into various cell types, such as osteoblasts and adipocytes. Recent studies on MSCs have revealed that many transcription factors and signaling pathways control osteogenic development. Osteogenesis is the process by which new bones are formed; it also aids in bone remodeling. Wnt/β-catenin and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathways are involved in many cellular processes and considered to be essential for life. Wnt/β-catenin and BMPs are important for bone formation in mammalian development and various regulatory activities in the body. Recent studies have indicated that these two signaling pathways contribute to osteogenic differentiation. Active Wnt signaling pathway promotes osteogenesis by activating the downstream targets of the BMP signaling pathway. Here, we briefly review the molecular processes underlying the crosstalk between these two pathways and explain their participation in osteogenic differentiation, emphasizing the canonical pathways. This review also discusses the crosstalk mechanisms of Wnt/BMP signaling with Notch- and extracellular-regulated kinases in osteogenic differentiation and bone development.

Keywords: Bone; Mesenchymal stem cells; Osteogenic differentiation; Wnt/β-catenin; Bone morphogenetic proteins

Core Tip: Osteogenesis is the process of new bone formation that is influenced by various signaling pathways, such as the Wnt/β-catenin and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathways. These pathways are crucial for bone formation and regulatory activities during osteogenesis. This review explores the molecular processes and mechanisms of the crosstalk between the Wnt and BMP signaling pathways in osteogenic differentiation and bone development.