Direct antitumour activity of zoledronic acid: preclinical and clinical data

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are widely used in the management of metastatic bone disease to reduce skeletal morbidity. Zoledronic acid (ZA), the most potent BP in clinical use, has demonstrated clinical utility in multiple tumour types. Preclinical data indicate that ZA may have direct antitumour activity, as has been demonstrated preclinically in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. The majority of preclinical studies showing antitumour effects have used high doses of ZA, making it difficult to translate these data to the clinical setting. This review summarises the published data on antitumour effects of ZA in tumour cell lines, mice experiments, and human clinical trials. Translational questions regarding drug dose, dose interval, and sequence with chemotherapy treatment are also addressed.