RANKL Inhibition (rankl + inhibition)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


RANKL Inhibition with Osteoprotegerin Increases Bone Strength by Improving Cortical and Trabecular bone Architecture in Ovariectomized Rats,,

JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH, Issue 5 2008
Michael S Ominsky
Abstract Introduction: Ovariectomy (OVX) results in bone loss caused by increased bone resorption. RANKL is an essential mediator of bone resorption. We examined whether the RANKL inhibitor osteoprotegerin (OPG) would preserve bone volume, density, and strength in OVX rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were OVX or sham-operated at 3 mo of age. Sham controls were treated for 6 wk with vehicle (Veh, PBS). OVX rats were treated with Veh or human OPG-Fc (10 mg/kg, 2/wk). Serum RANKL and TRACP5b was measured by ELISA. BMD of lumbar vertebrae (L1,L5) and distal femur was measured by DXA. Right distal femurs were processed for bone histomorphometry. Left femurs and the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5) were analyzed by ,CT and biomechanical testing, and L6 was analyzed for ash weight. Results: OVX was associated with significantly greater serum RANKL and osteoclast surface and with reduced areal and volumetric BMD. OPG markedly reduced osteoclast surface and serum TRACP5b while completely preventing OVX-associated bone loss in the lumbar vertebrae, distal femur, and femur neck. Vertebrae from OPG-treated rats had increased dry and ash weight, with no significant differences in tissue mineralization versus OVX controls. ,CT showed that trabecular compartments in OVX-OPG rats had significantly greater bone volume fraction, vBMD, bone area, trabecular thickness, and number, whereas their cortical compartments had significantly greater bone area (p < 0.05 versus OVX-Veh). OPG improved cortical area in L5 and the femur neck to levels that were significantly greater than OVX or sham controls (p < 0.05). Biomechanical testing of L5 and femur necks showed significantly greater maximum load values in the OVX-OPG group (p < 0.05 versus OVX-Veh). Bone strength at both sites was linearly correlated with total bone area (r2 = 0.54,0.74, p < 0.0001), which was also significantly increased by OPG (p < 0.05 versus OVX). Conclusions: OPG treatment prevented bone loss, preserved trabecular architecture, and increased cortical area and bone strength in OVX rats. [source]


The effects of RANKL inhibition on fracture healing and bone strength in a mouse model of osteogenesis imperfecta

JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008
Demetris Delos
Abstract Currently, the standard treatment for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is bisphosphonate therapy. Recent studies, however, have shown delayed healing of osteotomies in a subset of OI patients treated with such agents. The current study sought to determine the effects of another therapy, RANKL inhibition, on bone healing and bone strength in the growing oim/oim mouse, a model of moderate to severe OI. Mice [73 oim/oim and 69 wild-type (WT)] were injected twice weekly with either soluble murine RANK (RANK-Fc) (1.5 mg/kg) or saline beginning at 6 weeks of age. At 8 weeks of age, the animals underwent transverse mid-diaphyseal osteotomies of the right femur. Therapy was continued until sacrifice at 2, 3, 4, or 6 weeks postfracture. At 6 weeks post-fracture, greater callus area (6.59,±,3.78 mm2 vs. 2.67,±,2.05 mm2, p,=,0.003) and increased radiographic intensity (mineral density) (0.48,±,0.14 vs. 0.30,±,0.80, p,=,0.005) were found in the RANK-Fc versus saline oim/oim group, indicating a delay in callus remodeling. Despite this delay, mechanical tests at 6 weeks postfracture revealed no significant differences in whole bone properties of stiffness and failure moment. Further, RANKL inhibition resulted in a greater failure moment and greater work to failure for the nonfractured contralateral WT bones compared to the nonfractured saline WT bones. Together, these results demonstrate that RANKL inhibition does not adversely affect the mechanical properties of healing bone in the oim/oim mice, and is associated with increased strength in intact bone in the WT mice. © 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:153,164, 2008 [source]


An open-label, phase 2 trial of denosumab in the treatment of relapsed or plateau-phase multiple myeloma,,

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2009
Ravi Vij
RANKL is a key mediator of osteoclast differentiation, activation, and survival. Preclinical data suggest that aberrant production and activation of osteoclasts may influence proliferation of multiple myeloma (MM) cells in the bone marrow. Reports have also shown that inhibiting RANKL may have a direct effect on RANK-expressing myeloma cells and a therapeutic role in treating the disease. In mouse myeloma models, inhibition of RANKL led to reduced serum paraprotein levels and tumor burden. Based on this hypothesis, this proof-of-concept, single-arm study investigated whether RANKL inhibition with denosumab could reduce serum M-protein levels in relapsed or plateau-phase myeloma subjects. All subjects received denosumab monthly, with loading doses on days 8 and 15 of month one, until disease progression or subject discontinuation. Results of this ongoing study demonstrated that no subjects in either cohort met the protocol-defined objective response criteria of complete response (CR) or partial response (PR), but that denosumab effectively inhibited the RANKL pathway regardless of previous exposure to bisphosphonates, as evidenced by suppressed levels of the bone turnover marker, serum C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (sCTx). Eleven (21%) subjects who relapsed within 3 months before study entry maintained stable disease for up to 16.5 months. Nineteen (46%) subjects with plateau-phase myeloma maintained stable disease for up to 18.3 months. The adverse event (AE) profile for denosumab and its dosing schedule in these populations was consistent with that for advanced cancer patients receiving systemic therapy. Additional controlled clinical studies of denosumab in subjects with both relapsed and plateau-phase MM are warranted. Am. J. Hematol. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


RANKL inhibition is an effective adjuvant for docetaxel in a prostate cancer bone metastases model

THE PROSTATE, Issue 8 2008
K. M. Woods Ignatoski
Abstract BACKGROUND Docetaxel induces an anti-tumor response in men with advanced prostate cancer (PCa); however, the side effects associated with docetaxel treatment can be severe, resulting in discontinuation of therapy. Thus, identification of an effective adjuvant therapy to allow lower doses of docetaxel is needed. Advanced PCa is typically accompanied by skeletal metastasis. Receptor activator of NFkB ligand (RANKL) is a key pro-osteoclastic factor. Targeting RANKL decreases establishment and progression of PCa growth in bone in murine models. METHODS The efficacy of inhibiting RANKL, using a recombinant soluble RANK extracellular domain fused with the immunoglobulin Fc domain (RANK-Fc), was tested as an adjuvant therapy with docetaxel for PCa bone metastasis in a murine intra-tibial model. RESULT The combination of RANK-Fc and docetaxel reduced tumor burden in bone greater than either treatment alone. CONCLUSION The combination of docetaxel with a RANKL-inhibiting agent merits further investigation for treatment of advance PCa. Prostate 68:820,829, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Prevention of glucocorticoid-induced bone loss in mice by inhibition of RANKL

ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 5 2009
Lorenz C. Hofbauer
Objective RANKL has been implicated in the pathogenesis of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of denosumab, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against human RANKL (hRANKL), in a murine model of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. Methods Eight-month-old male homozygous hRANKL-knockin mice expressing a chimeric RANKL protein with a humanized exon 5 received 2.1 mg/kg of prednisolone or placebo daily over 4 weeks via subcutaneous slow-release pellets and were additionally treated with phosphate buffered saline or denosumab (10 mg/kg subcutaneously twice weekly). Two groups of wild-type mice were also treated with either prednisolone or vehicle. Results The 4-week prednisolone treatment induced loss of vertebral and femoral volumetric bone mineral density in the hRANKL-knockin mice. Glucocorticoid-induced bone loss was associated with suppressed vertebral bone formation and increased bone resorption, as evidenced by increases in the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP),positive osteoclasts, TRAP-5b protein in bone extracts, serum levels of TRAP-5b, and urinary excretion of deoxypyridinoline. Denosumab prevented prednisolone-induced bone loss by a pronounced antiresorptive effect. Biomechanical compression tests of lumbar vertebrae revealed a detrimental effect of prednisolone on bone strength that was prevented by denosumab. Conclusion Our findings indicate that RANKL inhibition by denosumab prevents glucocorticoid-induced loss of bone mass and strength in hRANKL-knockin mice. [source]