Communications Biology (Oct 2021)
Smoc1 and Smoc2 regulate bone formation as downstream molecules of Runx2
Abstract
Takahata et al. investigate the functional role of SMOC1/2 proteins in skeletal development. They reveal a genetic pathway that includes Bmp2 and Runx2 inducing expression of the paralogous Smoc genes, which may offer novel and effective therapeutic strategies associated with various bone and cartilage diseases.