Cover Picture: Structural Basis for the Exceptional in vivo Efficacy of Bisphosphonate Drugs (ChemMedChem 2/2006)

The cover picture shows micro computer tomography images that demonstrate the effect of zoledronate in the prevention of the tumor osteolytic response caused by local injection of human 4T1 mammary carcinoma cells into the tibia of nude mice. The circular arrangement shows interpolations between structural snapshots of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS), the molecular target of zoledronate and other bisphosphonates, upon inhibition by zoledronate and further complexation by IPP. It illustrates the structural basis for bisphosphonate treatment of bone metastasis, Paget's disease, osteoporosis, and other diseases. (Bone images courtesy of Dr. Jürg A. Gasser, Novartis Pharma AG). For more details, see the full paper by J.‐M. Rondeau, W. Jahnke, et al. on p. 267 ff.