Endocrine Abstracts

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The osteoclast is the cell that resorbs bone. Excessive activity by this cell is responsible for the bone loss that causes osteoporosis. Resorptive activity also appears to provide a ‘soil’ suitable for tumour metastasis to bone. Osteoclasts derive from precursors shared with the mononuclear phagocyte system, which differentiate into osteoclasts under the direction of M-CSF and RANKL. In vitro at least, TFG-beta is an essential cofactor for this process, and i...

The discovery of the RANK/RANKL/OPG axis provides opportunities for targeted interventions in a variety of skeletal disorders characterized by excessive bone resorption. In a proof of concept study, Bekker and colleagues demonstrated prompt, dose-related, reversible reduction in indices of bone turnover following subcutaneous administration of OPG-Fc in healthy adults. Inhibition of RANKL activity with denosumab, a fully human monoclonal IgG2 antibody that specifically inhibit...

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