Recent Insights into Therapy Resistance in Osteosarcoma

Simple Summary Osteosarcoma is the most common cancer of the bone for children and adolescents. Although chemotherapy regimens have been widely available and effective for many patients for decades, there have been few reliable options available when these standard regimens fail to adequately cure the disease. This suggests internal resistance mechanisms that allow the tumor cells to survive. Here, we review many of the recent studies that have provided new insights into understanding and overcoming chemo- and radioresistance in osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma, the most common bone malignancy of childhood, has been a challenge to treat and cure. Standard chemotherapy regimens work well for many patients, but there remain minimal options for patients with progressive or resistant disease, as clinical trials over recent decades have failed to significantly improve survival. A better understanding of therapy resistance is necessary to improve current treatments and design new strategies for future treatment options. In this review, we discuss known mechanisms and recent scientific advancements regarding osteosarcoma and its patterns of resistance against chemotherapy, radiation, and other newly-introduced therapeutics.