New research funded by the Bone Cancer Research Trust will benefit from international collaboration between researchers in the UK and Italy to develop targeted treatment for osteosarcoma.
Together with collaborators at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute in Italy, Professor Sibylle Mittnacht at University College London (UCL) is set to develop new treatment that targets a common genetic mutation found in osteosarcoma cells.
Preliminary findings by Professor Mittnacht's research team have shown that osteosarcoma cells with the RB1 mutation are sensitive to a group of new generation cancer medicines called PARP inhibitors. This specific mutation occurs in around 40-60% of osteosarcoma patients.
With the expertise of Dr Sandra Strauss and Professor Katia Scotlandi, researchers will now carry out the preliminary work to support them in designing a clinical trial whereby PARP inhibitors are used to treat osteosarcoma.
Professor Mittnacht explains more about her new research project below:
What are PARP inhibitors?
PARP inhibitors prevent cancer cells from repairing the vital DNA breaks that are caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. They are currently being used successfully, either alone or in combination with other therapies, to treat other cancers – particularly ovarian tumours.
Aims of the project:
- Develop a robust, accurate, and fast method to identify patients with the RB1 mutation
- Investigate how to effectively integrate PARP inhibitors into the current standard-of-care for osteosarcoma patients
- Find out more about the behaviour of osteosarcoma tumours with RB1 loss by tracking patients' medical history, including response to treatment and prognosis
- Clarify the therapeutic context in which PARP inhibitors can be used – either together or in sequence with current standard-of-care treatment
How could this project improve treatment options for osteosarcoma patients?
This research will assess the viability for the tailored use of PARP inhibitors to treat osteosarcoma patients with RB1 loss of function who are responsive to the treatment.
While this treatment would only be applicable to patients that present with the RB1 mutation, the available genomics information suggests that between 40-60% of osteosarcoma patients could benefit.
This research could also offer the opportunity to tackle disease recurrence that originates from residual cancer tissue lying dormant, and so is not destroyed by standard therapy.
It may also allow for reduced intensity of the current standard-of-care therapy, thereby reducing its toxic effect on patients.
Find out more about this research project below: