Receptor-activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and its receptor RANK are known to be essential regulators of bone remodelling, lymph node organogenesis and formation of a lactating mammary gland, but the functional relevance of their expression in the brain has been unclear. RANKL and RANK are now reported to have an essential role in the brain, with the central injection of RANKL into mice and rats triggering severe fever, and a further potential role in the control of thermoregulation in females.
- Reiko Hanada
- Andreas Leibbrandt
- Josef M. Penninger
