Identification of a novel compound that inhibits osteoclastogenesis by suppressing nucleoside transporters.

We screened small-molecule compounds that inhibit osteoclast differentiation to find new anti-osteoporosis agents and found that a novel compound, SUKU-1, suppressed osteoclastogenesis. We also synthesized 38 derivatives of SUKU-1 and discovered that nine of them had inhibitory effects on osteoclastogenesis and that SUKU-33 was the most potent inhibitor. Next, we investigated the mechanisms by which SUKU-33 suppressed osteoclast differentiation. By measuring the uptake of [(3) H]-uridine in cells, we found that SUKU-33 suppressed both equilibrative nucleoside transporters and concentrative nucleoside transporters. These results suggest that SUKU-33 inhibits osteoclast differentiation by suppressing nucleoside transporters.