Modified anti-inflammatory could treat common cancer

Could a prescription drug commonly used to relieve pain and inflammation due to arthritis also help treat cancerous bone tumors? A research team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital will soon begin testing a version of Celebrex on human and canine tumor cell lines to determine its potential use for preventing the progression of osteosarcoma, the most common cancerous bone tumor in children. A signaling pathway called the STAT3 pathway is crucial to tumor formation and cancer progression in many cases of osteosarcoma, therefore, blocking STAT3 signaling may be an approach for treating the tumor. Using celecoxib (the generic name for Celebrex, marketed by Pfizer), scientists developed 8A, a STAT3-selective inhibitor, with increased potency and selectiveness against STAT3 signaling in osteosarcoma cells. “We feel confident that our findings will advance the field of childhood osteosarcoma treatments.” Jiayuh Lin, who helped develop the modified drug, said.