An Acid-Activatable Fluorescence Probe for Imaging Osteocytic Bone Resorption Activity in Deep Bone Cavities.

A rationally designed pH-activatable fluorescent probe (pHocas-RIS) has been used to measure localised pH levels in osteocytic lacunae in bone tissue. Conjugation of the moderate bone-binding drug risedronate to a pH-activatable BODIPY fluorophore enables the probe to penetrate osteocytic lacunae cavities that are embedded deep within the bone matrix. After injection of pHocas-RIS, any osteocytic lacunae caused by bone-resorbing osteocytes cause the probe to fluoresce in vivo, thus allowing imaging by intravital two-photon excitation microscopy. This pH responsive probe enabled the visualization of the bone mineralizing activities of acid producing osteocytes in real time, thus allowing the study of their central role in remodeling the bone-matrix in healthy and disease states.

Progressive differentiation toward the long-lived plasma cell compartment in the bone marrow.

The longevity of plasma cells is dependent on their ability to access and reside in so-called niches that are predominantly located in the bone marrow. Here, by employing a traceable method to label recently generated plasma cells, we showed that homeostatic plasma cells in the bone marrow and spleen were continuously replenished by newly generated B220hiMHC-IIhi populations that progressively differentiated into B220loMHC-IIlo long-lived plasma cell (LLPC) populations. We also found that, in the bone marrow, germinal center (GC)-independent and GC-dependent plasma cells decayed similarly upon NP-CGG engagement, and both entered the B220loMHC-IIlo LLPC pool. Compared with NP+B220hiMHC-IIhi plasma cells, NP+B220loMHC-IIlo cells were more immobilized in the bone marrow niches and showed better survival potential. Thus, our results suggest that the adhesion status of bone marrow plasma cells is dynamically altered during their differentiation and is associated with provision of survival signals.

JAK inhibition ameliorates bone destruction by simultaneously targeting mature osteoclasts and their precursors.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by chronic inflammation and resultant cartilage/bone destruction because of aberrantly activated osteoclasts. Recently, novel treatments with several Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors have been shown to successfully ameliorate arthritis-related inflammation and bone erosion, although their mechanisms of action for limiting bone destruction remain unclear. Here, we examined the effects of a JAK inhibitor on mature osteoclasts and their precursors by intravital multiphoton imaging. METHODS: Inflammatory bone destruction was induced by local injection of lipopolysaccharides into transgenic mice carrying reporters for mature osteoclasts or their precursors. Mice were treated with the JAK inhibitor, ABT-317, which selectively inhibits the activation of JAK1, and then subjected to intravital imaging with multiphoton microscopy. We also used RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the effects of the JAK inhibitor on osteoclasts. RESULTS: The JAK inhibitor, ABT-317, suppressed bone resorption by blocking the function of mature osteoclasts and by targeting the migratory behaviors of osteoclast precursors to the bone surface. Further exhaustive RNA-Seq analysis demonstrated that Ccr1 expression on osteoclast precursors was suppressed in the JAK inhibitor-treated mice; the CCR1 antagonist, J-113863, altered the migratory behaviors of osteoclast precursors, which led to the inhibition of bone destruction under inflammatory conditions. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to determine the pharmacological actions by which a JAK inhibitor blocks bone destruction under inflammatory conditions; this inhibition is beneficial because of its dual effects on both mature osteoclasts and immature osteoclast precursors.

Single-cell transcriptomics of human cholesteatoma identifies an activin A-producing osteoclastogenic fibroblast subset inducing bone destruction.

Cholesteatoma, which potentially results from tympanic membrane retraction, is characterized by intractable local bone erosion and subsequent hearing loss and brain abscess formation. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying bone destruction remain elusive. Here, we performed a single-cell RNA sequencing analysis on human cholesteatoma samples and identify a pathogenic fibroblast subset characterized by abundant expression of inhibin ßA. We demonstrate that activin A, a homodimer of inhibin ßA, promotes osteoclast differentiation. Furthermore, the deletion of inhibin ßA /activin A in these fibroblasts results in decreased osteoclast differentiation in a murine model of cholesteatoma. Moreover, follistatin, an antagonist of activin A, reduces osteoclastogenesis and resultant bone erosion in cholesteatoma. Collectively, these findings indicate that unique activin A-producing fibroblasts present in human cholesteatoma tissues are accountable for bone destruction via the induction of local osteoclastogenesis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target.

Arthritis-associated osteoclastogenic macrophages (AtoMs) participate in pathological bone erosion in rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic form of arthritis that causes bone destruction in joints such as the knees and fingers. Over the past two decades, the clinical outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis have improved substantially with the development of biological agents and Janus kinase inhibitors. Osteoclasts are myeloid lineage cells with a unique bone-destroying ability that can lead to joint destruction. On the other hand, osteoclasts play an important role in skeletal homeostasis by supporting bone remodeling together with osteoblasts in the bone marrow under steady-state conditions. However, the same osteoclasts are considered to participate in physiological bone remodeling and joint destruction. We found that pathological osteoclasts have different differentiation pathways and regulatory transcription factors compared to physiological osteoclasts. We also identified arthritis-associated osteoclastogenic macrophages (AtoMs), which are common progenitors of pathological osteoclasts in mice and humans that develop specifically in inflamed synovial tissue. This review presents details of the newly identified AtoMs and the original intravital imaging systems that can visualize synovial tissue and pathological osteoclasts at the pannus-bone interface.

Arthritis-associated osteoclastogenic macrophage, AtoM, as a key player in pathological bone erosion.

Osteoclasts are myeloid lineage cells with a unique bone-destroying ability that maintains bone homeostasis together with bone formation by osteoblasts. An advanced intravital imaging system using a two-photon microscopy has enabled the observation and evaluation of osteoclast dynamics and behaviors in the bone marrow of living mice. Using this system, it has become clear that pathological osteoclasts under inflamed conditions differ from physiological osteoclasts under a steady-state. Recently, we identified novel osteoclast precursors in arthritis, called arthritis-associated osteoclastogenic macrophages (AtoMs), which differentiate into pathological osteoclasts and induce inflammatory bone destruction. In this review, we introduce the in vivo imaging of physiological and pathological osteoclasts and their differentiation mechanism.