Upcoming Treatment Modalities for Osteosarcoma

Summary

This project explores the various treatment modalities for the elimination of osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer with a high tendency for metastasis and poor rates of survival. Osteosarcoma is most commonly found in children and young adults because they experience rapid bone growth and growth spurts from 10-25 years of age. Cellular mechanisms of osteosarcoma have increasingly adapted to conventional treatment options, causing the cancer cells to build resistance against chemotherapy drugs. The study first dives into the genetic mutations of osteosarcoma, looking closely at the prevalence of TP53 mutations and other genes in osteosarcoma. Treatment options such as immunotherapy and ADC treatment have produced promising results for safely and effectively eliminating osteosarcoma cancer cells. Immunotherapy utilizes T cells from the immune system to target cancer cells. ADCs consist of an antibody and a cytotoxic payload which releases cytotoxins directly into the cancer cell to induce apoptosis.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) of osteosarcoma poses a challenge to immunotherapy because of its heterogenous habitat consisting of both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing cells. The Bystander Killing Effect takes place when the cytotoxic payload of the ADC affects nearby healthy cells, causing both cancer cells and healthy cells to undergo apoptosis. Knowing these challenges, scientists and researchers continue to target different proteins with these treatments to work towards successfully eliminating osteosarcoma cancer cells. Although these treatments are still considered experimental, they are a crucial part for the next step to combatting osteosarcoma.

Mutations in TP53 Gene for Osteosarcoma

(Figure representation created by the author: Joslyn Prasanth)

ADC Process for Cancer Cell Death

(Figure representation created by the author: Joslyn Prasanth)

PD-1/PD-L1 Blocking With Antibodies

(Figure representation created by the author: Joslyn Prasanth)

Impact Statement

Joslyn Prasanth

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My name is Joslyn Prasanth and I am a junior at Lightridge High School, VA. I love learning scientific concepts, especially when they are related to the biomedical field. My experience with Elio Academy deepened my knowledge of genetics, biology, and cancer while also improving my research skills. Although some topics were hard to grasp at first, the instructors provided ample help and made sure to answer all questions with clarity. My project is about the different types of treatments there are to combat a type of bone cancer called osteosarcoma. By utilizing the knowledge I gained from the educational lectures, the beneficial research tools that were provided, and the support my mentors gave me, I successfully finished my research project with improved skills of research and presentation, preparing me for my future educational endeavors. I had a fantastic experience researching my topic of interest and working with my mentors!

Student Reflection

By: Joslyn Prasanth. The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Elio Academy.