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Filipowska J, Cisneros Z, Leon-Rivera N, Wang P, Kang R, Lu G, Yuan YC, Bhattacharya S, Dhawan S, Garcia-Ocaña A, Kondegowda NG, Vasavada RC. LGR4 is essential for maintaining β-cell homeostasis through suppression of RANK. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.10.593645. [PMID: 38798561 PMCID: PMC11118322 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.10.593645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic β-cell stress contributes to diabetes progression. This study demonstrates that Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled-receptor-4 (LGR4) is critical for maintaining β-cell health and is modulated by stressors. In vitro , Lgr4 knockdown decreases proliferation and survival in rodent β-cells, while overexpression protects against cytokine-induced cell death in rodent and human β-cells. Mechanistically, LGR4 suppresses Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NFκB) (RANK) and its subsequent activation of NFκB to protect β-cells. β-cell-specific Lgr4 -conditional knockout (cko) mice exhibit normal glucose homeostasis but increased β-cell death in both sexes and decreased proliferation only in females. Male Lgr4 cko mice under stress display reduced β-cell proliferation and a further increase in β-cell death. Upon aging, both male and female Lgr4 cko mice display impaired β-cell homeostasis, however, only female mice are glucose intolerant with decreased plasma insulin. We show that LGR4 is required for maintaining β-cell health under basal and stress-induced conditions, through suppression of RANK. Teaser LGR4 receptor is critical for maintaining β-cell health under basal and stressed conditions, through suppression of RANK.
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Oh JH, Choi JY, Kim DW, Kim SG, Garagiola U. Therapeutic Potential of 4-Hexylresorcinol in Preserving Testicular Function in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4316. [PMID: 38673900 PMCID: PMC11050698 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
It is known that many diabetic patients experience testicular atrophy. This study sought to investigate the effect of 4-hexylresorcinol (4HR) on testicular function in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes, focusing on testicular weight, sperm motility, histological alterations, and serum testosterone levels to understand the efficacy of 4HR on testes. Our findings reveal that 4HR treatment significantly improves testicular health in diabetic rats. Notably, the STZ group exhibited a testicular weight of 1.22 ± 0.48 g, whereas the STZ/4HR group showed a significantly enhanced weight of 1.91 ± 0.26 g (p < 0.001), aligning closely with the control group's weight of 1.99 ± 0.17 g and the 4HR group's weight of 2.05 ± 0.24 g, indicating no significant difference between control and 4HR groups (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the STZ/4HR group demonstrated significantly improved sperm motility compared to the STZ group, with apoptotic indicators notably reduced in the STZ/4HR group relative to the STZ group (p < 0.05). These results underscore the therapeutic potential of 4HR for maintaining testicular function under diabetic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Hyeon Oh
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea;
| | - Je-Yong Choi
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Cell and Matrix Research Institute, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea
| | - Dae-Won Kim
- Department of Oral Biochemistry, College of Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea;
| | - Seong-Gon Kim
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Dentistry, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, Republic of Korea;
| | - Umberto Garagiola
- Biomedical, Surgical and Oral Sciences Department, Maxillofacial and Dental Unit, School of Dentistry, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy;
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Zhang H, Wu G, Chen B. Knockdown of neurotrophin receptor-interacting melanoma-associated antigen homolog inhibits acute myeloid leukemia cell growth via the ERK pathway. CHINESE J PHYSIOL 2023; 66:276-283. [PMID: 37635487 DOI: 10.4103/cjop.cjop-d-22-00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophin receptor-interacting melanoma-associated antigen homolog (NRAGE), a type II melanoma-associated antigen, plays a critical role in cell processes that are involved in the tumorigenesis of various cancers. However, the effect of NRAGE on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is rarely reported. The expression of NRAGE in AML tissues and the survival rates between different AML groups were obtained from the GEPIA tool. Human AML cell lines were cultured and transfected with siRNA targeting NRAGE. The ability of AML cells to proliferate and cell cycle were examined. Western blotting was performed to detect the activity of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway in AML cells. NRAGE expression was enhanced in AML tissues relative to control tissues, and the high NRAGE expression in AML patients is associated with a poor prognosis. The capacity of AML cells to survive and proliferate was significantly decreased and its cell cycle was arrested at the G1 phase after NRAGE was silenced. Furthermore, silencing NRAGE induced the inactivation of the ERK signaling pathway. Furthermore, supplement of tert-Butylhydroquinone, an ERK activator, improved the reduced ability of AML cell survival and proliferation as well as cell cycle arrest induced by NRAGE knockdown. In this study, NRAGE was identified as a tumor promoter in AML, which had an effect on cell proliferation, cell survival, and cell cycle through the ERK signaling pathway in AML cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Zhang
- Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Guangsheng Wu
- Department of Hematology, First Affiliated Hospital of Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China
| | - Beili Chen
- Department of Hematological, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi, China
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Bian Z, Cao C, Ding J, Ding L, Yu S, Zhang C, Liu Q, Zhu L, Li J, Zhang Y, Liu Y. Neuroprotective effects of PRG on Aβ 25-35-induced cytotoxicity through activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 313:116550. [PMID: 37120057 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Phylloporia ribis (Schumach:Fr.)Ryvarden is a genus of needle Phellinus medicinal fungi, parasitic on the living rhizomes of hawthorn and pear trees. As a traditional Chinese medicine, Phylloporia ribis was used in folklore for long-term illness, weakness and memory loss in old age. Previous studies have shown that polysaccharides from Phylloporia ribis (PRG) significantly promoted synaptic growth in PC12 cells in a dose-dependent manner, exhibiting "NGF"-like neurotrophic activity. Aβ25-35 damage to PC12 cells produced neurotoxicity and decreased cell survival, and PRG reduced the apoptosis rate, suggesting that PRG has neuroprotective effects. The studies confirmed that PRG had the potential to be a neuroprotective agent, but its neuroprotective mechanism remained unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY We aimed to elucidate the neuroprotective effects of PRG in an Aβ25-35-induced Alzheimer's disease (AD) model. MATERIALS AND METHODS Highly-differentiated PC12 cells were treated with Aβ25-35 (AD model) and PRG, and were assessed for cellular apoptosis, inflammatory factors, oxidative stress, and kinase phosphorylation. RESULTS The results showed that the PRG groups effectively inhibited the neurotoxicity, mainly manifested by inhibiting mitochondrial oxidative stress, attenuating neuroinflammatory responses, and improving mitochondrial energy metabolism, eventually resulting in higher cell survival. The expression of p-ERK, p-CREB and BDNF proteins was increased in the PRG groups compared to the model group, which confirmed that PRG reversed the inhibition of the ERK pathway. CONCLUSION We provide evidence for neuroprotection conferred by PRG and its mechanism by inhibiting ERK1/2 hyper-phosphorylation, prevention of mitochondrial stress, and subsequent prevention of apoptosis. The study highlights PRG as a promising candidate with neuroprotective effects, the potential of which can be harnessed for identifying novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Bian
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Chenzhen Cao
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China; Health Surveillance Section, Junan County Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Linyi, 276600, China
| | - Jie Ding
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Liang Ding
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Shuai Yu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Chuanxiang Zhang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Lihao Zhu
- Sishui Siheyuan Culture and Tourism Development Company, Ltd, Sishui, 273200, China
| | - Jing Li
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
| | - Yongqing Zhang
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
| | - Yuhong Liu
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
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Chen S, Jin Q, Hou S, Li M, Zhang Y, Guan L, Pan W, Ge J, Zhou D. Identification of recurrent variants implicated in disease in bicuspid aortic valve patients through whole-exome sequencing. Hum Genomics 2022; 16:36. [PMID: 36071494 PMCID: PMC9450445 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-022-00405-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital heart defect in human beings, with an estimated prevalence in the general population of between 0.5 and 2%. Moreover, BAV is the most common cause of aortic stenosis in the pediatric population. Patients with BAV may have no symptoms for life, and some of them may progress to aortic stenosis. Genetic factors increase the susceptibility and development of BAV. However, the pathogenesis and BAV are still unclear, and more genetic variants are still needed for elucidating the molecular mechanism and stratification of patients. The present study carried out screening of variants implicated in disease in BAV patients. The whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed in 20 BAV patients and identified 40 different heterozygous missense mutations in 36 genes (MIB2, FAAH, S100A1, RGS16, MAP3K19, NEB, TTN, TNS1, CAND2, CCK, KALRN, ATP10D, SLIT3, ROS1, FABP7, NUP205, IL11RA, NPR2, COL5A1, CUBN, JMJD1C, ANXA7, TRIM8, LGR4, TPCN2, APOA5, GPR84, LRP1, NCOR2, AKAP11, ESRRB, NGB, AKAP13, WWOX, KCNJ12, ARHGEF1). The mutations in these genes were identified as recurrent variants implicated in disease by in silico prediction tool analysis. Nine genes (MIB2, S100A1, TTN, CCK, NUP205, LGR4, NCOR2, ESRRB, and WWOX) among the 36 genes were identified as variants implicated in disease via unanimous agreement of in silico prediction tool analysis and sequenced in an independent cohort of 137 BAV patients to validate the results of WES. BAV patients carrying these variants demonstrated reduced left ventricular ejection fractions (LVEF) (63.8 ± 7.5% vs. 58.4 ± 5.2%, P < 0.001) and larger calcification volume [(1129.3 ± 154) mm3 vs. (1261.8 ± 123) mm3, P < 0.001]. The variants in TTN, NUP205 and NCOR2 genes are significantly associated with reduced LVEF, and the variants in S100A1, LGR4, ESRRB, and WWOX genes are significantly associated with larger calcification volume. We identified a panel of recurrent variants implicated in disease in genes related to the pathogenesis of BAV. Our data speculate that these variants are promising markers for risk stratification of BAV patients with increased susceptibility to aortic stenosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinchun Jin
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shiqiang Hou
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingfei Li
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lihua Guan
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenzhi Pan
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Junbo Ge
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Daxin Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, No. 180 of Road Fenglin, District Xuhui, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Research Unit of Cardiovascular Techniques and Devices, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China. .,National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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Yang L, Wang J, Gong X, Fan Q, Yang X, Cui Y, Gao X, Li L, Sun X, Li Y, Wang Y. Emerging Roles for LGR4 in Organ Development, Energy Metabolism and Carcinogenesis. Front Genet 2022; 12:728827. [PMID: 35140734 PMCID: PMC8819683 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.728827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The leucine-rich repeats containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 (LGR4) belonging to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) family, had various regulatory roles at multiple cellular types and numerous targeting sites, and aberrant LGR4 signaling played crucial roles in diseases and carcinogenesis. On the basis of these facts, LGR4 may become an appealing therapeutic target for the treatment of diseases and tumors. However, a comprehensive investigation of its functions and applications was still lacking. Hence, this paper provided an overview of the molecular characteristics and signaling mechanisms of LGR4, its involvement in multiple organ development and participation in the modulation of immunology related diseases, metabolic diseases, and oxidative stress damage along with cancer progression. Given that GPCRs accounted for almost a third of current clinical drug targets, the in-depth understanding of the sophisticated connections of LGR4 and its ligands would not only enrich their regulatory networks, but also shed new light on designing novel molecular targeted drugs and small molecule blockers for revolutionizing the treatment of various diseases and tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaodi Gong
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiong Fan
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Yunxia Cui
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyan Gao
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Lijuan Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Sun
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhong Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yuhong Li, ; Yudong Wang,
| | - Yudong Wang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, The International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Municipal Key Clinical Specialty, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Embryo Original Disease, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yuhong Li, ; Yudong Wang,
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Pei J, Luan L. LGR4 protects PC12 against OGD/R-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis through activation of AKT/GSK3β. Mol Cell Toxicol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s13273-021-00202-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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8
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Filipowska J, Kondegowda NG, Leon-Rivera N, Dhawan S, Vasavada RC. LGR4, a G Protein-Coupled Receptor With a Systemic Role: From Development to Metabolic Regulation. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:867001. [PMID: 35707461 PMCID: PMC9190282 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.867001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 4 (LGR4/GPR48), a member of the GPCR (G protein-coupled receptors) superfamily, subfamily B, is a common intestinal crypt stem cell marker. It binds R-spondins/Norrin as classical ligands and plays a crucial role in Wnt signaling potentiation. Interaction between LGR4 and R-spondins initiates many Wnt-driven developmental processes, e.g., kidney, eye, or reproductive tract formation, as well as intestinal crypt (Paneth) stem cell pool maintenance. Besides the well-described role of LGR4 in development, several novel functions of this receptor have recently been discovered. In this context, LGR4 was indicated to participate in TGFβ and NFκB signaling regulation in hematopoietic precursors and intestinal cells, respectively, and found to be a new, alternative receptor for RANKL (Receptor Activator of NF kappa B Ligand) in bone cells. LGR4 inhibits the process of osteoclast differentiation, by antagonizing the interaction between RANK (Receptor Activator of NF kappa B) and its ligand-RANKL. It is also known to trigger anti-inflammatory responses in different tissues (liver, intestine, cardiac cells, and skin), serve as a sensor of the circadian clock in the liver, regulate adipogenesis and energy expenditure in adipose tissue and skeletal muscles, respectively. The extracellular domain of LGR4 (LGR4-ECD) has emerged as a potential new therapeutic for osteoporosis and cancer. LGR4 integrates different signaling pathways and regulates various cellular processes vital for maintaining whole-body homeostasis. Yet, the role of LGR4 in many cell types (e.g. pancreatic beta cells) and diseases (e.g., diabetes) remains to be elucidated. Considering the broad spectrum of LGR4 actions, this review aims to discuss both canonical and novel roles of LGR4, with emphasis on emerging research directions focused on this receptor.
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