Lab findings suggest EGFR inhibitors may prevent rhabdomyosarcoma recurrence (Currently available therapy to be used concurrent with chemo)

Medical Xpress / St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital / Developmental Cell ^ | Apr. 27, 2022 | Anand G. Patel et al

[ConservativeMind]

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a type of soft tissue cancer. Scientists studied the population of cells that persists after therapy, causing rhabdomyosarcoma recurrence. They found that these cells mirror an early developmental state that responds to EGFR inhibitors. The work presents a strategy for targeting the whole tumor that may apply to other pediatric cancers.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma in children. After patients complete therapy, cancer cells can persist. These cells later multiply, causing the disease to recur. When this cancer recurs after therapy, it is much more difficult to treat.

"As a developmental biologist I was impressed with the degree to which the tumor cells are progressing through the normal stages of muscle development," Dyer said. "In fact, those normal developmental programs are contributing to rhabdomyosarcoma recurrence. The most immature cells survive treatment and then become re-activated to progress through the muscle development program and re-establish the tumor after treatment. Our goal is to kill all cells in the tumor with particular focus on the rare cell population that seeds recurrence."

Chemotherapy can eliminate most of the rhabdomyosarcoma cells in a patient's tumor. But the cells with features of early development persist.

The team found that this population of cells depends on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling and is sensitive to EGFR inhibitors. EGFR inhibitors are a type of targeted therapy used to treat cancers with mutations in the EGFR gene, such as lung cancer in adults. The findings support a clinical trial strategy that includes EGFR inhibitors in rhabdomyosarcoma treatment.

…Said first author Anand Patel, M.D., Ph.D. "We have a proof of concept that if you target those rare cells that persist with an EGFR inhibitor and combine that with chemotherapy you get a much better outcome because you're treating the entire tumor."

[ConservativeMind]

More options are now available for stopping childhood cancer.

[ConservativeMind]

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