The osteoprotective role of USP26 in coordinating bone formation and resorption

Bone homeostasis is maintained through a balance of bone formation by osteoblasts and bone resorption by osteoclasts. Ubiquitin-specific proteases (USPs) are involved in regulating bone metabolism by preserving bone formation or antagonizing bone resorption. However, the specific USPs that maintain bone homeostasis by orchestrating bone formation and bone resorption simultaneously are poorly understood. Here, we identified USP26 as a previously unknown regulator of bone homeostasis that coordinates bone formation and resorption. Mechanistically, USP26 stabilizes β-catenin to promote the osteogenic activity of mesenchymal cells (MSCs) and impairs the osteoclastic differentiation of bone myelomonocytes (BMMs) by stabilizing inhibitors of NF-κBα (IκBα). Gain-of-function experiments revealed that Usp26 supplementation significantly increased bone regeneration in bone defects in aged mice and decreased bone loss resulting from ovariectomy. Taken together, these data show the osteoprotective effect of USP26 via the coordination of bone formation and resorption, suggesting that USP26 represents a potential therapeutic target for osteoporosis.