Novel therapy to reverse the cellular effects of bisphosphonates on primary human oral fibroblasts.

Purpose: Osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) is a clinical condition that is characterized by a nonhealing breach in the oral mucosa resulting in exposure of bone and has been increasingly reported in patients receiving bisphosphonate (BP) therapy. Although the pathogenesis and natural history of ONJ remain ill-defined, it appears that the oral soft tissues play a critical role in the development of this condition. We examined the effects of the nitrogen-containing BPs pamidronate and zoledronate on primary human gingival fibroblasts.