RANKL Cytokine: From Pioneer of the Osteoimmunology Era to Cure for a Rare Disease

Figure 2

Preclinical studies in Rankl ^−/− mice. Rankl ^−/− mice were injected with either 1 mg/kg RANKL (below) or PBS (above) every 48 hours starting within the first week of life. Mice were sacrificed after 1 month (P30) or after 3 months (P90). Periodic acid-Schiff staining (bone in pink, cartilage in violet) of femur sections showed in RANKL-treated mice rescue of the bone defect at P30 and pathological reduction of the bone content at P90, clearly indicating overtreatment. Scale bar: 200 μm.