Bone resorption goes green

In this issue of Cell, McDonald et al. show that giant multinucleated, bone-resorbing osteoclasts dissolve into smaller cells, termed “osteopmorhs,” which re-form into osteoclasts at distal bone sites (McDonald et al., 2021). These findings overturn the long-standing premise that osteoclasts differentiate solely from hematopoietic precursors and undergo apoptosis after completing resorption. In this issue of Cell, McDonald et al. show that giant multinucleated, bone-resorbing osteoclasts dissolve into smaller cells, termed “osteopmorhs,” which re-form into osteoclasts at distal bone sites (McDonald et al., 2021). These findings overturn the long-standing premise that osteoclasts differentiate solely from hematopoietic precursors and undergo apoptosis after completing resorption.