Sclerostin is a cysteine-knot glycoprotein product of the SOST gene, predominately expressed by osteocytes, that is a regulator of osteoblastic bone formation. When sclerostin binds to its low-density lipoprotein receptor-related proteins 5 and 6 on the cell membrane of osteoblasts, it inhibits canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and reduces osteoblastic bone formation. Sclerostin was first identified in the study of two rare autosomal recessive disorders, sclerosteosis and van Buchem disease, which are associated with absent or reduced levels of sclerostin. Although homozygote patients with these disorders have serious adverse clinical consequences due to excessive bone growth, heterozygote patients have a normal phenotype, high bone mass, and very low risk of fractures. This has led to the concept that downregulation of sclerostin might be effective in the treatment of osteoporosis. Several humanized monoclonal antibodies to sclerostin, including romosozumab and blosozumab, are now in clinical development. Preliminary data show that these agents result in a transient increase in bone formation markers, a sustained decrease in bone resorption markers, and a robust increase in bone mineral density. If any of these agents are found to reduce fracture risk with a favorable safety profile, it will expand the options for osteoanabolic therapy for patients at high risk for fractures.
The interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with various drugs, such as antibiotics, due to the importance of BSA in drug delivery has attracted increasing research attention at present. Therefore, the aim of this study was investigation of BSA interaction with rifampicin using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and molecular docking methods under the imitated physiological conditions ( pH = 7.4 ). BSA immobilization on carboxymethyl dextran hydrogel chip has been carried out after activation with N-hydroxysuccinimide/N-ethyl-N-(3-diethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide. The dose-response sensorgrams of BSA upon increasing concentration of refampicin were attained in SPR analysis. The high affinity of rifampicin to BSA was demonstrated by a low equilibrium constants ( K D ) value ( 3.46 × 10 ? 5 at 40°C). The process of kinetic values changing shows that affinity of BSA to rifampicin decreased with rising temperature. The positive value of both enthalpy change ( ? H ) and entropy change ( ? S ) showed that hydrophobic force plays major role in the BSA interaction with rifampicin. The positive value of ? G was indicative of nonspontaneous and enthalpy-driven binding process. In addition, according to the molecular docking study, hydrogen binding has some contributions in the interaction of rifampicin with BSA.
Menopausal therapy with a tissue selective estrogen complex combines estrogens with a selective estrogen receptor modulator, with the goal of blending the desirable effects of estrogens on menopausal symptoms and bone with the tissue selective properties of a selective estrogen receptor modulator. The first tissue selective estrogen complex to receive regulatory approval is a combination of conjugated estrogens (CE) with bazedoxifene (BZA). Clinical trials with CE/BZA in postmenopausal women have shown improvement in vasomotor symptoms, vulvo-vaginal atrophy, and bone mineral density, without stimulation of the endometrium or breast tissue, with a generally favorable safety and tolerability profile. CE/BZA represents a new approach to the management of menopausal symptoms in women with a uterus.
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