Title:Osteoporosis: Current and Emerging Therapies Targeted to Immunological Checkpoints
Volume: 27
Issue: 37
Author(s): Massimo De Martinis, Maria Maddalena Sirufo and Lia Ginaldi*
Affiliation:
- Department of Life, Health, & Environmental Sciences, University of L’Aquila, L'Aquila,Italy
Keywords:
Osteoporosis, osteoimmunology, bone remodeling, cytokines, immunological checkpoints, biological
therapies.
Abstract: Osteoporosis is a skeletal pathology characterized by compromised bone strength leading
to increased risk of fracture, mainly the spine and hip fractures. Osteoporosis affects more than 200
million people worldwide and because of the skeletal fractures it causes, represents a major cause of
morbidity, disability and mortality in older people. Recently, the new discoveries of osteoimmunology
have clarified many of the pathogenetic mechanisms of osteoporosis, helping to identify new
immunological targets for its treatment opening the way for new and effective therapies with biological
drugs. Currently, there are basically two monoclonal antibodies for osteoporosis therapy:
denosumab and romosozumab. Here, we focus on the modern approach to the osteoporosis management
and in particular, on current and developing biologic drugs targeted to new immunological
checkpoints, in the landscape of osteoimmunology.