METHOD FOR IN VITRO SCREENING OF DRUG CANDIDATES USEFUL FOR THE PREVENTION OF BONE RESORPTION

摘要

This invention concerns a method for in vitro determination of the activity of a drug on the activity of osteoclasts, wherein - said drug is an estrogen or a selective estrogen-receptor modulator (SERM), and - osteoclasts are cultured on bone surface in the presence of the drug to be tested, and - the activity of said osteoclasts is determined by determining the level of an antigen, the release of which is decreased by the osteoclast inhibiting activity of said drug, by an immunometric method, and- comparing the measured antigen level to a control culture into which no drug has been added.