Chronic inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are often accompanied by
systemic bone loss, which is thought to occur through inflammatory cytokine-mediated
stimulation of osteoclast resorption and inhibition of osteoblast function. However, the
mechanisms involved in osteoblast inhibition remain poorly understood. Here we test the
hypothesis that increased Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor 1 (Smurf1)-mediated degradation
of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway signaling proteins mediates reduced bone …