A combination of osteoclast differentiation factor and macrophage-colony stimulating factor is sufficient for both human and mouse osteoclast formation in vitro.

Both human and murine osteoclasts can be derived in vitro from hematopoietic cells or monocytes that are co-cultured with osteoblasts or marrow-derived stromal cells. The osteoclastogenic stimulus provided by murine osteoblasts and marrow-derived stromal cells is now known to be mediated by osteoclast differentiation factor (ODF), a membrane-bound tumor necrosis factor-related ligand. This study demonstrates that mouse spleen cells and monocytes form osteoclasts when cultured in the presence of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and a soluble form of murine ODF (sODF). Numerous multinucleated osteoclasts expressing tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and calcitonin receptor (CTR) formed within 7 days of culture and engaged in extensive lacunar bone resorption. Osteoclast number and bone resorption area was dependent on sODF concentration. Long-term cultured human monocytes also formed bone resorbing osteoclasts in response to co-stimulation by sODF and M-CSF, although this required more than 11 days in culture. This human osteoclast differentiation was strongly inhibited by granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor. This study further characterises murine osteoclast differentiation caused by sODF and M-CSF co-stimulation in vitro, and shows that the same co-stimulation causes human osteoclast differentiation to occur. We propose that this methodology can be employed to investigate the direct effects of cytokines and other factors on human osteoclast differentiation.