Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 7, Issue 8, 2001

OPG is a new member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor family which plays a key role in the physiological regulation of osteoclastic bone resorption. The protein, which is produced by osteoblasts and marrow stromal cells, lacks a transmembrane domain and acts as a secreted decoy receptor which has no direct signaling capacity. OPG acts by binding to its natural ligand OPGL, which is also known as RANKL (receptor Read More

This review summarizes the types of ion channels that have been identified in osteoclasts and considers their potential as targets for therapeutic agents aimed at the treatment of osteoporosis and other bone disorders. We focus on channels that have been identified using molecular and electrophysiological approaches. Numerous ion channels have been characterized, including K,H,Na, nonselective cation and Cl - chann Read More

Parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) was discovered as the main mediator of humoral hypercalcemia associated with malignancy but is now known to be expressed by a variety of normal fetal and adult tissues. The amino-terminal region of PTHrP reveals limited but significant homology with parathyroid hormone (PTH), resulting in the interaction of either peptide with a common seven-transmembrane spannin Read More

Osteoporosis is a disease characterised by low bone mass, structural deterioration of bone and increased risk of fracture. The prevalence, and cost, of osteoporosis is increasing dramatically with our ageing population and the World Health Organization now considers it to be the second-leading healthcare problem. All currently approved therapies for osteoporosis (eg., estrogen, bisphosphonates, calcitonin and selective Read More

The mammalian parathyroid hormone (PTH) PTH receptor family includes PTH1 and PTH2 receptors and three related ligands (PTH, PTH-related protein (PTHrP) and tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues (TIP39)). Here we comparatively and systematically review the pharmacological properties of PTH receptors and ligands, structure of the ligands, and molecular mechanisms of receptor-ligand interaction. The PTH1 re Read More

The main therapy needed most in the bone field is an anabolic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis. Current drugs on the market, which included bisphosphonates, calcitonin, estrogen and related compounds, vitamin D analogues trabecular microarchitecture. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a satisfactory and universally and iprifalvone, are essentially bone resorption inhibitors that mainly act to stabilize bon Read More

The identification of novel signalling pathways in a tissue provides new avenues for pharmacological manipulation of tissue function. Where the pathway concerned is one that has been the subject of extensive research in another body system, progress towards new therapies can be rapid. The discovery that glutamate has functions in bone that share striking similarities with its role in synaptic neurotransmission opens the w Read More