Osteoclast-derived SLIT3 is a coupling factor linking bone resorption to bone formation

We identified osteoclast-derived SLIT3 as a new coupling factor using fractionated secretomics. Coupling links bone resorption to bone formation. SLIT3 stimulated the recruitment and proliferation of osteoblasts into bone remodeling sites via activation of β-catenin. Autocrine signaling by SLIT3 also inhibited bone resorption by suppressing the fusion and differentiation of pre-osteoclasts. All mice lacking Slit3 or its receptor Robo1 showed an osteopenic phenotype with low bone formation and high bone resorption. A small truncated recombinant SLIT3 protein increased bone mass in an osteopenic mouse model. These results suggest that SLIT3 is a novel therapeutic target in metabolic bone diseases.