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RANKL OPG System

Meaning

The RANKL/OPG system is a critical molecular signaling pathway that governs bone remodeling, a continuous process of bone breakdown and formation essential for skeletal integrity and calcium homeostasis. It involves three key proteins: Receptor Activator of Nuclear factor Kappa-B Ligand (RANKL), its receptor (RANK), and Osteoprotegerin (OPG), which acts as a decoy receptor for RANKL. The balance between RANKL (promoting bone breakdown) and OPG (inhibiting bone breakdown) is highly sensitive to sex hormones, making it central to bone health in the context of hormonal aging.