Generation and analysis of human and murine osteoclasts

Abstract

Osteoclasts are the only bone resorbing cells in the body. Together with bone forming osteoblasts they are responsible for a balanced bone homeostasis and constant bone remodeling. Aberrant activation of osteoclasts leads to bone loss as seen in postmenopausal osteoporosis or in autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Although, a lot of research has been performed to understand and prevent osteoclast-mediated bone loss, the mechanisms of osteoclast hyperactivation are not completely understood. This article describes several protocols for the ex vivo generation of murine and human osteoclasts allowing to study the effects of specific cells, cytokines or chemical substances on osteoclast formation and activity without the need of expensive and time-consuming animal experiments. In addition, we provide protocols for the specific staining of osteoclasts and the analysis of resorption activity using calcium phosphate coated surfaces or bone slices. Show more