Manchester-based research team awarded new grant to help more people survive bone cancer

A research project at the University of Manchester aims to personalise treatment for osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer.

The £120,000 project, funded by Sarcoma UK and led by Dr Katie Finegan, will explore how different types of cells in our immune system are linked to how well osteosarcoma cancer responds to treatment.

Scientists have found that a signaling pathway that controls the cells of the immune system, is also important in how well a patient will respond to treatment for their cancer. But so far, very little is known about how this works in osteosarcoma.

Dr Finegan’s team at the University of Manchester, will investigate if blocking this pathway will help show which osteosarcoma patients are most likely to respond to certain treatments – and hopefully improve their chances of survival.

Osteosarcoma is a cancer of the bone, often affecting older children, teenagers and young adults. About 130 people are diagnosed with the disease in England each year. Treatment for osteosarcoma includes chemotherapy and surgery, but sadly it can spread easily to other parts of the body. This means that the cancer cells are harder to target.

Lead researcher Dr Katie Finegan said: “There’s a real unmet need to develop new treatments for osteosarcoma, which has seen very little success for over 40 years. Each patient’s immune environment is crucial to whether they will respond well or not. Through this research we hope to understand why, which we hope will ensure each patient gets the most effective treatment for them in the future.”

“It is vital that we find new treatments for osteosarcoma so that there is hope in the future for people diagnosed with the disease. In 2019, at just 29 years old, Tom Makin, of Rochdale, died of osteosarcoma. Tom loved music and fashion, and was Manchester City mad. He was a wonderful father to two daughters who were aged three and just eight weeks old when he died.

“I am thrilled to hear that Sarcoma UK has been able to fund a much-needed research project, right here in my hometown of Manchester,” said Tom’s widow, Kirsty.

“As we know, treatments have little improved for those diagnosed with osteosarcoma, like my husband, and hope that this research is pivotal in improving treatment and outcomes for such patients. As just one of many that raise funds for Sarcoma UK it is fantastic to see the money being put to such a worthwhile project.

“I can’t wait to hear how the project develops.”

 

 

Around 70% of osteosarcoma patients will survive for 5 years after they are diagnosed, as long as their cancer doesn’t spread. But for 1 in 5 patients their osteosarcoma will have already spread to other parts of the body by the time their cancer is diagnosed – and when this happens, the five-year survival rate could drop to as low as 20%.

A lack of understanding of how osteosarcoma develops in the body means that no new treatments have been developed for over 40 years, so all osteosarcoma patients receive the same treatment, whether the cancer has spread or not. The announcement of this new research at the University of Manchester will provide hope to many living with the disease.

Dr Sorrel Bickley, Director of Research, Policy and Support at Sarcoma UK, said: "We are delighted to be funding Dr Finegan’s project and hope that her research will pave the way to finding desperately needed treatments for osteosarcoma."

Tom Makin’s legacy lives on. Thanks to the vital awareness and fundraising work he did before he died, as well as the continuation of this by his friends and family, research projects like this one are able to receive funding from Sarcoma UK.
 

Read more: Ben Bate sets new Guinness World Record running the London Marathon for Sarcoma UK in memory of friend Tom MakinPublished: 07 October 2021

Tom’s friends Luke, Jack, Ryan, Ashleigh, Fliss and his wife Kirsty took part in last year’s London Marathon to raise funds for Sarcoma UK. His sister Amy is set to run the London Marathon this year and donations can be made via JustGiving.