Abstract
Bisphosphonates (BPs) are widely used in the treatment of diseases associated with excessive osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, such as osteoporosis. Although several years ago the molecular target of the potent nitrogen-containing BPs (N-BPs) was identified as farnesyl diphosphate synthase, an enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, recent data have shed new light on the precise mechanism of inhibition and demonstrated that the acute-phase reaction, an adverse effect of N-BPs, is also caused by inhibition of this enzyme. In addition, the identification of BP analogues that inhibit different enzymes in the mevalonate pathway could lead to the development of novel inhibitors of bone resorption with potential applications in the treatment of bone disease.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 307-312 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Current Opinion in Pharmacology |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 2 May 2006 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2006 |
Keywords
- nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates
- RAB gernaylgeranyl transferase
- farnesyl diphosphate synthase
- acute-phase response
- activation in-vitro
- T-cell-activation
- bone-resorption
- mevalonate pathway
- ATP analog
- inhibition