Proposed standard nomenclature for new tumor necrosis factor family members involved in the regulation of bone resorption

Recently, three new family members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligan d and receptor signaling system that play a critical role in the regulation of bone resorption have been identified and cloned. These also have been s hown to play an important role in regulating the immune system. A prolifera tion of synonyms for these molecules has led to miscommunication and redund ancy. To resolve this, the President of the American Society for Bone and M ineral Research (ASBMR) appointed a special committee to recommend a standa rd nomenclature. After considerable deliberation and after vetting by worke rs in the field, the Committee recommends the names of receptor activator o f NF-KB (RANK) for the membrane receptor, RANK ligand (RANKL) for the ligan d, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) for the decoy receptor.