Propolis Component May Help Treat Bone Diseases

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis by Suppressing NFkappaB and Downregulating NFATc1 and c-Fos
Int Immunopharmacol, 2009 Mar 11

Osteoclasts are multinuclear cells of myeloid lineage responsible for bone resorption. The anti-inflammatory property of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), an active component of the propolis of honeybee hives, has been revealed.

Since the regulatory mechanism of differentiation and activation of osteoclasts shares many well-known signaling pathways with that of inflammation, we investigated whether CAPE has any effect on osteoclastogenesis.

CAPE potently suppressed osteoclastogenesis in cultures of bone marrow-derived precursor cells with the osteoclast differentiation factor, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL)…

We propose that CAPE might be useful as a therapeutic agent for treatment of bone destructive diseases.