title: Osteoprotegerin expression during the micro- and macrometastatic phases of the osteoblastic metastasis in prostate cancer: therapeutic implications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoprotegerin (OPG) acts as a soluble decoy receptor for the bone marrow stroma cell-derived and osteoblast-derived receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand (RANKL), thus regulating the RANK-mediated osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption at the metastatic niche of cancer in skeleton.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article discusses the 'key' role of OPG expression during the early events of cancer cell invasion into the bone matrix and the subsequent events underlying the formation of osteoblastic metastasis, a unique event observed in human prostate cancer biology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding the cellular and molecular events implicated in bone metastasis can facilitate designing new therapeutic strategies for targeting early and/or late events in the metastasis processes. The RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway is a key regulator of pathological bone metabolism in metastatic sites. Targeted manipulation of these molecules may provide sustainable antitumor responses.
authors.affiliation: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , 2 Nikis St, Kifisia 145 61, Athens , Greece.
authors.forename: Spyros G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Pneumaticos
authors.forename: Anthos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christofides
authors.forename: Eliona
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gkioka
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kalogeropoulos
authors.forename: Pavlos
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Msaouel
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koutsilieris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000378:metabolism*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D053244:Osteoprotegerin