PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a useful means for prevention of osteoporosis of elderly people, especially disuse osteoporosis accompanied with paralyses, steroid osteoporosis or bone quantity reduction during staying in space or development of therapeutic agents.SOLUTION: The invention relates to the prevention or therapeutic agents of osteoporosis containing substances to control expression or functions of PDK4 and a screening method thereof including steps of: (a) contacting osteoblast cells or monocyte derived from bone marrow/macrophage series cells with substances to be examined (b) examining an amount of expression and osteoclastogenesis (inducibility) of the PDK4 in the osteoblast cells or monocyte derived from bone marrow/macrophage series cells contacted with the substances to be examined and comparing an amount of expression and osteoclastogenesis (inducibility) of the PDK4 in the osteoblast cells or monocyte derived from bone marrow/macrophage series cells which are not contacted with the substances to be examined and (c) selecting the appropriate substance to be examined which controls expression of the PDK4 based on the comparison result.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】高齢者の骨粗鬆症、特に麻痺等に伴う廃用性骨粗鬆症、ステロイド性骨粗鬆症または宇宙滞在時の骨量減少の予防または治療薬の開発に有用な手段の提供。【解決手段】PDK4の発現または機能を抑制する物質を含む、骨粗鬆症の予防または治療剤、ならびに(a)骨芽細胞または骨髄由来の単球/マクロファージ系列細胞と被験物質とを接触させる工程、(b)前記被験物質を接触させた骨芽細胞または骨髄由来の単球/マクロファージ系列細胞におけるPDK4の発現量および破骨細胞形成(誘導)能を調べ、被験物質を接触させない骨芽細胞または骨髄由来の単球/マクロファージ系列細胞における発現量および破骨細胞形成(誘導)能と比較する工程、および(c)前記比較結果に基づいて、PDK4の発現を抑制する被験物質を選択する工程を含む、PDK4の発現または機能抑制を介した骨粗鬆症の予防および/または治療剤のスクリーニング方法。【選択図】なし
