Figure 2From: Basic research and clinical applications of bisphosphonates in bone disease: what have we learned over the last 40 years?Effects on osteoclasts. Osteoclasts release BPs from the bone matrix. N-containing BPs potently inhibit farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS), a key enzyme in the mevalonate/cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. Non-N-BPs are incorporated metabolically into non-hydrolyzable cytotoxic analogs of ATP (AppCp).Back to article page