Projects we fund

Overview

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of bone tumour in children and young adults. It is caused by the abnormal growth of bone cells. Only around 65% of children with OS survive for five years or more and survival rates are much lower if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Sadly, diagnosis of OS is often delayed and survival outcomes for patients have made little improvement over the past four decades. Furthermore, we still can’t predict at diagnosis which patients could be cured with surgery alone and which patients cannot currently be cured, even with chemotherapy. A better understanding of how OS grows and spreads could reveal targets for the development of effective new treatments. It could also provide clues to help doctors monitor the disease more closely in patients and provide a more accurate prognosis. OS seems to be associated with bone growth spurts during puberty. Dr Sam Behjati and his team are investigating how healthy growing bone cells transform into OS cells by comparing their gene activity. In healthy cells, genes can be “switched on” or “switched off” over time depending upon their job. Making sure that the right genes are switched on or switched off at the right time is essential for normal cell functioning. It’s increasingly understood that many diseases are caused by or associated with genes behaving incorrectly. Dr Behjati and his team will analyse the gene activity in OS cells by sequencing their messenger RNA (mRNA) from both localised tumours and tumours that have spread to other parts of the body. Genes produce mRNA when they are active, which codes the production of different proteins. Dr Behjati’s team will then compare this activity to normal gene behaviour in healthy growing bone cells. The differences in gene activity could provide key clues as to what triggers healthy cells to turn into OS cells, and then what triggers those OS cells to spread.

What difference will this project make?

It is not well understood how OS first develops or what then causes it to spread to other parts of the body. By analysing how gene activity changes as OS progresses, Dr Behjati and his team could help to identify targets for the development of new treatments to halt the growth and spread of the disease. Their research could also yield valuable clues to help doctors monitor the disease more accurately in patients and tailor treatments accordingly.