The role of EGFR signaling in age‐related osteoporosis in mouse cortical bone

ABSTRACT So far, there has been no effective cure for osteoporotic cortical bone, the most significant change in long bone structure during aging and the main cause of bone fragility fractures, because its underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms remain largely unknown. We used 3‐ and 15‐mo‐old mice as well as 15‐mo‐old mice treated with vehicle and gefitinib to evaluate structural, cellular, and molecular changes in cortical bone. We found that the senescence of osteoprogenitors was increased, whereas the expression of phosphorylated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the endosteal surface of cortical bone down‐regulated in middle‐aged 15‐mo‐old mice compared with young 3‐mo‐old mice. Further decreasing EGFR signaling by gefitinib treatment in middle‐aged mice resulted in promoted senescence of osteoprogenitors and accelerated cortical bone degeneration. Moreover, inhibiting EGFR signaling suppressed the expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2), the repressor of cell senescence‐inducer genes, through ERK1/2 pathway, thereby promoting senescence in osteoprogenitors. Down‐regulated EGFR signaling plays a physiologically significant role during aging by reducing Ezh2 expression, leading to the senescence of osteoprogenitors and the decline in bone formation on the endosteal surface of cortical bone.—Liu, G., Xie, Y., Su, J., Qin, H., Wu, H., Li, K., Yu, B., Zhang, X. The role of EGFR signaling in age‐related osteoporosis in mouse cortical bone. FASEB J. 33, 11137–11147 (2019). www.fasebj.org