Emerging therapeutic opportunities for skeletal restoration

Osteoporosis, a syndrome characterized by thin bones and fractures, has become more prevalent in both women and men. Established therapies for this disorder consist primarily of drugs that prevent bone loss, such as the bisphosphonates and selective estrogen receptor modulators. Although these drugs have been shown to reduce fractures in randomized trials, there is an urgent need for treatments that could lower fracture risk further without additional adverse effects. The introduction of parathyroid hormone (teriparatide), which significantly increases bone mineral density, albeit for a relatively short duration, raised expectations that drugs which stimulate bone formation might cure osteoporosis. After outlining current approaches to treating osteoporosis, this review focuses on emerging therapeutic opportunities for osteoporosis that are based on recent insights into skeletal physiology. Such novel strategies offer promise for not only reducing age-related bone loss and the associated risk of fractures, but restoring bone mineral density to healthy levels