Effects of the phytoestrogen coumestrol on RANK-ligand-induced differentiation of osteoclasts

Phytoestrogens, which have structural similarity to 17β-estradiol, have been reported to act as agonists/antagonists of estrogen in animals and humans. Estrogen is known to have an important role in maintaining bone mass, because the concentration of serum estrogen decreases after menopause and the estrogen deficiency causes bone loss. In this study, we investigated the effects of coumestrol and other phytoestrogens on osteoclast differentiation...