Donesumab, a monoclonal antibody against RANK ligand is used for the treatment of:

Ans. (B) Osteoporosis(Ref: Principles of pharmacolpg HL Sharma and KK Sharma 2007/641)Receptor for activated nuclear factor kB (RANK) is present on osteoclast progenitors. Binding of RANK-ligand to these receptors causes differentiation and activation of osteoclast progenitors to mature osteoclasts. Donesumab is a monoclonal antibody that prevents the binding of RANK-ligand with RANK. This prevents activation of osteoclasts and it can therefore, be used in osteoporosis.Osteoblasts synthesize and release osteoprotegerin (OPG), identical with RANK, which functions as a 'decoy receptor'. OPG, thus inhibits the binding to RANK-L to RANK. Hence OPG analogs can be the potential therapeutic agents of osteoporosis.