Low toxicity and unprecedented anti-osteoclast activity of a simple sulfur-containing gem-bisphosphonate: a comparative study.

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are key drugs for the treatment of bone resorption diseases like osteoporosis, Paget's disease and some forms of tumors. Recent findings underlined the importance of lipophilic N-containing BPs to ensure high biological activity. Herein we present some unprecedented results concerning the low toxicity and good anti-osteoclast activity of low molecular weight hydrophilic S-containing BPs. A series of S and N-containing BPs bearing aromatic and aliphatic substitution were prepared through Michael addition reaction between vinylidenebisphosphonate tetraethyl ester and the proper nucleophile under basic catalysis. S-containing BPs showed a generally low toxicity, determined with the neutral-red assay using the L929 cell line, and, in particular for an aliphatic one, a good biological activity assessed on primary cultures of human osteoclasts.