Provided herein are methods for inhibiting osteolysis or treating osteoporosis in a subject in need thereof, the method including administering to the subject at least one RON inhibitor. The osteolysis may be caused by a condition selected from the group consisting of cancer, inflammation, and cyst. The condition may include a bone tumor or a tumor located in bone. The subject may have been diagnosed with bone cancer. The inhibitor may be ASLAN002. The inhibitor may be OSI-296. The inhibitor may be selective or specific for RON. The inhibitor may not depend on the function of RANKL or TGFβ.
