Treatment of bone metastasis by denosumab, the human monoclonal neutralizing antibody to RANKL
Yoneda, T.
Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine 70(12): 2165-2171
2012
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1852 PMID: 23259391 Document Number: 660565
Solid cancers such as breast, prostate and lung cancer have a predilection for spreading to bone. Accumulating data suggest that the crosstalk between metastatic cancer cells and bone-resorbing osteoclasts plays a central role in the development and progression of bone metastases. Recent studies have revealed that osteoblasts mediate this crosstalk by expressing the receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) in response to cancer-produced osteotropic factors. The RANKL promotes osteoclast formation and bone resorption via the binding to RANK expressed in hematopoietic osteoclast precursor cells and mature osteoclasts. Denosumab is the humanized anti-RANKL neutralizing monoclonal antibody and thus would be a specific and effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of bone metastases. In fact, clinical studies clearly demonstrated that denosumab significantly inhibited the development of skeletal-related events associated with bone metastases and indicate its usefulness for bone metastases.