Abstract:

Osteoporosis is a common disease which is caused by a systemic impairment of bone mass and microarchitecture. The disease is likely to occur in the elderly, especially in postmenopausal women. Along with the understanding of the detailed molecular biology of bone cells, the signaling network of the communication between bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts has been revealed, which has led to the identification of novel therapeutic targets. Novel treatment strategy aims to inhibit excessive bone resorption and increase bone formation. The most promising novel drugs include denosumab (a monoclonal antibody for a key osteoclast cytokine), odanacatib (a specific inhibitor of the osteoclast protease cathepsin K) and two endogenous inhibitors of bone formation (antibodies against the proteins sclerostin and dickkopf-1). This review will discuss the underlying physiology of novel therapies and explore their further applications.

Key words: osteoporosis, target therapy, osteoblast, osteoclast