# Interactions of PTH and Wnt signaling in bone formation

> **NIH NIH R01** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $352,566

## Abstract

Project Summary
Osteoporosis is common and devastating, as 20% of adults with a hip fracture die within 1 year and another 50%
never walk independently again. Medications to promote bone formation might be a superior approach to treating
osteoporosis. Recombinant parathyroid hormone (PTH) and anti-sclerostin antibody increase bone formation by
targeting PTH receptor (PTH1R) and Wnt signaling pathways, respectively. However, these medications require
injections and can only be used for up to two years. In mice, combined treatment with PTH and anti-sclerostin
antibody is more effective than either medication alone. Understanding the mechanisms by which combined
PTH1R and Wnt signaling increase bone mass could lead to novel treatments to decrease fracture risk. We will
test our central hypothesis that PTH1R is required for Wnt to fully stimulate bone formation.
Mechanistically, we propose that PTH1R is required to stabilize the Wnt effector b-catenin in
osteoprogenitors, which in turn maximally stimulates expression of the osteoblast gene program. We
will use two approaches to activate Wnt signaling in mice lacking PTH1R in bone: pharmacologically with a novel
water soluble Wnt surrogate, and genetically by knocking out the Wnt inhibitor sclerostin. We propose to use two
innovative methods to overcome current barriers to understanding how PTH and Wnt signaling interact in bone.
First, we will use mass cytometry (CyTOF) to analyze expression of >40 parameters, allowing us to distinguish
mesenchymal stem cells, osteoprogenitors and osteoblasts, and to simultaneously examine the effects of
PTH1R and Wnt signaling in these populations. Second, we will use single-cell RNA-sequencing to evaluate
PTH1R and Wnt signaling in osteoprogenitors. We have preliminary data that in the absence of PTH1R signaling
in osteoprogenitors, increased Wnt signaling fails to increase bone. In Specific Aim 1 we will determine whether
intact PTH1R signaling is required for Wnt-dependent bone formation by pharmacological and genetic activation
of Wnt signaling in 1 month-old control (PTH1ROsxWT) and PTH1ROsxKO mice. We will assess bone formation by
histology, quantitative histomorphometry, and micro-computed tomography (µCT). In Specific Aim 2 we will
determine whether PTH1R is required for Wnt signaling to increase osteoprogenitor numbers by performing
mass cytometry on bone cells of mice from Aim 1, using antibody panels to distinguish mesenchymal stem cells,
osteoprogenitors and osteoblasts. We will simultaneously evaluate PTH1R and Wnt signaling in each population.
We will use single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to determine whether PTH1R is required for Wnt signaling
to increase osteoblast gene programs in osteoprogenitors. In Aim 3 we will validate our findings in adult
PTH1ROsxWT and PTH1ROsxKO mice treated with Wnt surrogate ligand, using µCT, histomorphometry, mass
cytometry and scRNA-seq. Successful completion of these aims will provide more detailed understanding ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9920092
- **Project number:** 5R01AR073773-02
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JOY Y WU
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $352,566
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-05-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9920092

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9920092, Interactions of PTH and Wnt signaling in bone formation (5R01AR073773-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9920092. Licensed CC0.

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