Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) systemic review: mevalonate pathway mechanisms explored

Abstract

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a rare, but devastating condition caused by bisphosphonates, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand inhibitors, anti-angiogenic medications, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. While the clinical spectrum of MRONJ has a wide range, there is a subgroup of patients that do not improve with antibiotics and conservative surgical debridement resulting in pathologic fractures, draining fistulas, and/or osteomyelitis. For the severely affected individuals, the only cure is surgical resection with micro-vascular free flap reconstruction. The etiology of MRONJ is unknown because of the lack of understanding of the biological underpinnings of the disorder connected to the mechanisms of action of the various medications. This limited knowledge has resulted in the classification of patients by clinical presentation rather than underlying pathology. Therefore, the aim of this article is to present a mechanistic framework of MRONJ through the mevalonate pathway in the context of the medications that are known to induce it and explore potential novel therapeutics.