Abstract: Methods of screening for agents for treating inflammatory diseases are provided. The methods involve screening for agents that modulate the activity or expression of GPR64, which has been discovered herein to play a role in inflammatory diseases. Methods for treating an inflammatory disease, as well as methods of modulating the activity or expression of GPR64, methods of screening for an inflammatory disease in a subject, pharmaceutical compositions, a nucleic acid variant, and antibodies are also provided.

Abstract: Members of the TGF-? superfamily and peptide fragments based on member proteins are employed to purify solutions containing member proteins or as therapeutics.

Abstract: The present invention provides reagents, compounds, compositions, and methods relating to novel interactions of the extracellular domain of LRP5, HBM (a variant of LRP5), and/or LRP6 with Dkk, including Dkk-1. The various nucleic acids, polypeptides, antibodies, assay methods, diagnostic methods, and methods of treatment of the present invention are related to and impact on Dkk, LRP5, LRP6, HBM, and Wnt signaling. Dkk, LRP5, LRP6, HBM, and Wnt are implicated in bone and lipid cellular signaling. Thus, the present invention provides reagents and methods for modulating lipid levels and/or bone mass and is useful in the treatment and diagnosis of abnormal lipid levels and bone mass disorders, such as osteoporosis.

Abstract: The present invention provides GSK3? variants, including splice variants expressed in bone or other tissues. These variants have a broad range of functional activity, from inhibiting the Wnt pathway to activating the pathway as dominant-negatives of the full-length GSK3?. These variants, as well as their modulators, can be used to treat diseases that involve GSK3? or its associated signaling pathways.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and materials used to express an HBM-like polypeptide derived from HBM, LRP5 or LRP6 in animal cells and transgenic animals. The present invention also relates to transgenic animals expressing the HBM-like polypeptides. The invention provides nucleic acids, including coding sequences, oligonucleotide primers and probes, proteins, cloning vectors, expression vectors, transformed hosts, methods of developing pharmaceutical compositions, methods of identifying molecules involved in bone development, and methods of diagnosing and treating diseases involved in bone development and lipid modulation. In preferred embodiments, the present invention is directed to methods for treating, diagnosing and preventing osteoporosis.