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Ganglioside GD2 potential therapeutic target in osteosarcoma
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Ganglioside GD2 was highly expressed in osteosarcoma and may be a target for antibody-mediated therapy in these patients, according to study results.
Recent research has indicated that ganglioside GD2 — a glycosphingolipid found on the cell surface of certain tumors — can be targeted in neuroblastoma with improved outcomes for these patients, according to background information in the study.
Researchers used immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of ganglioside GD2 in 44 osteosarcoma samples. Of these samples, eight were taken at the time of initial biopsy, 28 were obtained during definitive surgery and eight were from the time of disease recurrence.
Researchers also used a cell-based enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay on osteosarcoma cell lines to quantify the level of ganglioside GD2 expression.
Results showed that all 44 samples expressed ganglioside GD2.
The intensity of staining was higher in samples obtained during the time of disease recurrence than in samples obtained from initial biopsy and definitive surgery (P=.016).
Researchers also found that most of the osteosarcoma cell lines expressed ganglioside GD2 at a higher intensity than what has been previously shown in the neuroblastoma cell line BE(2)-C.
“Survival outcomes for patients with osteosarcoma have remained stagnant over the past 30 years,” researchers wrote. “Clinical trials are needed to assess the efficacy of targeted GD2 in patients with osteosarcoma.”
Disclosure: See the study for a full list of the researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.
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