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

Recently, three new family members of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) ligand and receptor signaling system that play a critical role in the regulation of bone resorption have been identified and cloned. These also have been shown to play an important role in regulating the immune system. A proliferation of synonyms for these molecules has led to miscommunication and redundancy. To resolve this, the President of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) appointed a special committee to recommend a standard nomenclature. After considerable deliberation and after vetting by workers in the field, the Committee recommends the names of receptor activator of NF-κB (RANKL) for the membrane receptor, RANK ligand (RANK) for the ligand, and osteoprotegerin (OPG) for the decoy receptor.