Figure 3
From: Drugs in development: bisphosphonates and metalloproteinase inhibitors
Schematic showing the mevalonate pathway. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates inhibit the farnesyl diphosphate synthase enzyme, which prevents the production of farnesyl diphosphate that is required for protein prenylation. Inhibition of protein prenylation leads to loss of association of GTP-binding proteins with the cell surface and to a breakdown in intracellular signalling.