Identification of CSPG4 as a promising target for translational combinatorial approaches in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is a highly metastatic pediatric bone tumor. Adjuvant chemotherapy and surgical resection represent standard treatments; however, the prognosis is still poor. Effective strategies are urgently needed. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG)4 is a transmembrane proteoglycan with a low expression in normal tissues but high expression in several solid tumors, where it plays a central tumorigenic role. Therefore, it represents a promising therapeutic target. The high homology between human and canine CSPG4 and the recognized translational power of canine tumors as preclinical models for human malignancies prompted us to evaluate CSPG4 expression and the consequences of its immune-targeting for both human and canine OSA treatment