Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42210228›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2026

Targeting the Gpr125-Gper1 axis: a novel osteogenic signaling pathway with therapeutic potential against osteoporosis.

Chen-Yi Tang, Yu-Xin Han, Hui-Xuan Wu, Hong-Li Jiang, Ying Wen, Qian He, Yuling Liu, Hong Liu, Guo Feng, Yu-Fang Luo and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Chen-Yi TangDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
Yu-Xin HanNational Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central, South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
Hui-Xuan WuNational Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central, South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
Hong-Li JiangNational Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central, South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
Ying WenNational Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central, South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
Qian HeDepartment of Geriatric, The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University & Yichang Central People's Hospital, Yichang, 443002, P.R. China.
Yuling LiuNational Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central, South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China.
Hong LiuDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
Guo FengDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
Yu-Fang LuoDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
Meng WangDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
Yeshuo MaDepartment of Geriatrics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
Hou-De ZhouNational Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory for Metabolic Bone Diseases, Department of Metabolism and Endocrinology, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central, South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China. houdezhou@csu.edu.cn.
Min LiuDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China. liuminxy3yy@csu.edu.cn.ORCID 0009-0005-3729-4000

Funding

Hunan Provincial Health High-Level Talent Scientific Research Project R2023019Key Research and Development Program of Hunan Province of China 2024JK2113National Major Science and Technology Projects of China 2023ZD0509205National Natural Scientific foundation of China 82300995National Natural Scientific Foundation of China 82170900Natural Science Foundation of Changsha kq2208355Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province 2023JJ40907
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOsteoporosis, characterized by reduced bone mass and increased fracture risk, underscores the urgent need for novel anabolic therapies. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are major drug targets, but the functions of adhesion GPCRs (aGPCRs) in bone remain largely unexplored. G-protein coupled receptor 125 (Gpr125) is an orphan aGPCR, and its role in osteoblast-mediated bone formation is entirely unknown.

methodsWe employed lentiviral-mediated knockdown and overexpression of Gpr125 in primary mouse calvarial osteoblasts and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs). Osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation were assessed by staining and marker analysis. Transcriptomic profiling (RNA-seq) and pathway analysis were used to identify downstream mechanisms, validated by rescue experiments with Gper1 overexpression, PI3K/AKT inhibitors (LY294002), and Wnt/β-catenin activation (Wnt3a CM). The osteogenic role of Gpr125 was tested in ovariectomized and aged mouse osteoporosis models via osteoblast-targeted adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivery.

resultsGpr125 was highly expressed in osteoblasts, peaking during differentiation. Its knockdown severely impaired osteogenesis while promoting adipogenesis in vitro. Conversely, its overexpression enhanced bone formation. RNA-seq identified G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (Gper1) as the key downstream target. We defined a novel signaling axis where Gpr125 upregulates Gper1, which activates PI3K/AKT signaling, leading to β-catenin stabilization and osteogenic transcription. Rescue experiments established a strict hierarchy: Gper1 overexpression fully rescued the osteogenic defect caused by Gpr125 loss, but not Gpr125 expression itself. PI3K inhibition blocked Gpr125-induced β-catenin activation and osteogenesis. β-catenin activation partially rescued osteogenesis but failed to restore upstream signaling. Critically, osteoblast-specific Gpr125 overexpression in vivo effectively ameliorated bone loss and reduced marrow adiposity in both postmenopausal and senile osteoporosis mouse models.

conclusionsOur study unveils a complete Gpr125-Gper1-PI3K/AKT-β-catenin signaling axis essential for osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. This work identifies the aGPCR Gpr125 as a novel positive regulator of bone anabolism and proposes the Gpr125-Gper1 axis as a promising therapeutic target for developing new treatments against osteoporosis.

Indexed as

OsteogenesisOsteoporosisReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, G-Protein-CoupledSignal TransductionAdipogenesisAnimalsCell DifferentiationFemaleHumansMesenchymal Stem CellsMiceMice, Inbred C57BLOsteoblastsOvariectomyPhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesGPER1 protein, mousePhosphatidylinositol 3-KinasesProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktReceptors, EstrogenReceptors, G-Protein-CoupledGPCROsteoblastsOsteoporosisPI3K/AKTWnt/β-catenin

Identifiers

PMID42210228
PMCPMC13422091

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.