A two-drug combination cracks a stubborn bone cancer that has waited 40 years for something new

Osteosarcoma, a bone cancer that mostly strikes young people, has seen no new approved treatments in 40 years — and its relapsed forms are especially hard to treat. Scientists co-led by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have found a potential opening: pairing a drug that degrades a hijacked protein called EP300 with one that blocks a growth signal called AKT slowed tumours and prolonged survival in preclinical models, including metastatic disease. 'A compound combination that looks promising for a disease that has not had a major therapeutic improvement for a long time,' says co-author Adam Durbin. The findings appear in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation