The neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide alpha is essential for bone healing
Jessika Appelt,
Anke Baranowsky,
Denise Jahn,
Timur Yorgan,
Paul Köhli,
Ellen Otto,
Saeed Khomeijani Farahani,
Frank Graef,
Melanie Fuchs,
Aarón Herrera,
Michael Amling,
Thorsten Schinke,
Karl-Heinz Frosch,
Georg N. Duda,
Serafeim Tsitsilonis,
Johannes Keller
Affiliations
Jessika Appelt
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Julius Wolff Institute for Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
Anke Baranowsky
Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany; Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
Denise Jahn
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Julius Wolff Institute for Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
Timur Yorgan
Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
Paul Köhli
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
Ellen Otto
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
Saeed Khomeijani Farahani
Julius Wolff Institute for Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
Frank Graef
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
Melanie Fuchs
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany
Aarón Herrera
Julius Wolff Institute for Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
Michael Amling
Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
Thorsten Schinke
Department of Osteology and Biomechanics, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
Karl-Heinz Frosch
Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany
Georg N. Duda
Julius Wolff Institute for Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
Serafeim Tsitsilonis
Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany; Julius Wolff Institute for Biomechanics and Musculoskeletal Regeneration, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin 13353, Germany
Johannes Keller
Department of Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg 20246, Germany; Corresponding author.
Background: Impaired fracture healing represents an ongoing clinical challenge, as treatment options remain limited. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neuropeptide targeted by emerging anti-migraine drugs, is also expressed in sensory nerve fibres innervating bone tissue. Method: Bone healing following a femoral osteotomy stabilized with an external fixator was analysed over 21 days in αCGRP-deficient and WT mice. Bone regeneration was evaluated by serum analysis, µCT analysis, histomorphometry and genome-wide expression analysis. Bone-marrow-derived osteoblasts and osteoclasts, as well as the CGRP antagonist olcegepant were employed for mechanistic studies. Findings: WT mice with a femoral fracture display increased CGRP serum levels. αCGRP mRNA expression after skeletal injury is exclusively induced in callus tissue, but not in other organs. On protein level, CGRP and its receptor, calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR) complexing with RAMP1, are differentially expressed in the callus during bone regeneration. On the other hand, αCGRP-deficient mice display profoundly impaired bone regeneration characterised by a striking reduction in the number of bone-forming osteoblasts and a high rate of incomplete callus bridging and non-union. As assessed by genome-wide expression analysis, CGRP induces the expression of specific genes linked to ossification, bone remodeling and adipogenesis. This suggests that CGRP receptor-dependent PPARγ signaling plays a central role in fracture healing. Interpretation: This study demonstrates an essential role of αCGRP in orchestrating callus formation and identifies CGRP receptor agonism as a potential approach to stimulate bone regeneration. Moreover, as novel agents blocking CGRP or its receptor CRLR are currently introduced clinically for the treatment of migraine disorders, their potential negative impact on bone regeneration warrants clinical investigation. Funding: This work was funded by grants from the Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), and the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH).
