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Review
. 2024 Aug 1:14:1445025.
doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1445025. eCollection 2024.

The emerging role of osteoclasts in the treatment of bone metastases: rationale and recent clinical evidence

Youjun Liu  1 , Huanshi Chen  1 , Tong Chen  1 , Guowen Qiu  1 , Yu Han  2
Affiliations
Review

The emerging role of osteoclasts in the treatment of bone metastases: rationale and recent clinical evidence

Youjun Liu et al. Front Oncol. .

Abstract

The occurrence of bone metastasis is a grave medical concern that substantially impacts the quality of life in patients with cancer. The precise mechanisms underlying bone metastasis remain unclear despite extensive research efforts, and efficacious therapeutic interventions are currently lacking. The ability of osteoclasts to degrade the bone matrix makes them a crucial factor in the development of bone metastasis. Osteoclasts are implicated in several aspects of bone metastasis, encompassing the formation of premetastatic microenvironment, suppression of the immune system, and reactivation of quiescent tumor cells. Contemporary clinical interventions targeting osteoclasts have proven effective in mitigating bone-related symptoms in patients with cancer. This review comprehensively analyzes the mechanistic involvement of osteoclasts in bone metastasis, delineates potential therapeutic targets associated with osteoclasts, and explores clinical evidence regarding interventions targeting osteoclasts.

Keywords: antiresorptive drugs; bone metastasis; osteoclasts; targeted therapy; therapeutic targets.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential mechanisms of osteoclast involvement in bone metastasis.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Osteoclast differentiation and maturation, and potential therapeutic targets (the red text in dashed box).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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