Extracellular glutamate alters mature osteoclast and osteoblast functions

Glutamatergic intercellular communication is involved in many aspects of metabolic homeostasis in normal bone. In bone metastasis, the balance between bone formation and degradation is disrupted. Although the responsible mechanisms are not clear, we have previously identified that cancer cell lines used in bone tumour models secrete glutamate, suggesting that tumour-derived glutamate may disrupt sensitive signalling systems in bone. This study …