SEMA4D in osteoporosis

Researchers from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University have shown that inhibition of the protein semaphorin 4D increases bone formation in a mouse model of osteoporosis.¹ By directly promoting bone formation, a semaphorin inhibitor could be more effective than existing osteoporosis therapies that work by preventing bone loss.

The semaphorins are a large class of membrane proteins that play a role in the CNS as axon guidance molecules. Semaphorins also have been implicated in immune cell function, tumor progression and tumor angiogenesis.^2-4...