Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
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Society for Endocrinology BES

Symposia

New biology of bone: therapeutic implications

ea0013s42 | New biology of bone: therapeutic implications | SFEBES2007

Osteoclast differentiation and function

Chambers Tim

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...

ea0013s43 | New biology of bone: therapeutic implications | SFEBES2007

Rank modulation in treatment

McClung Michael

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...