Immunotherapeutic Strategies in the Management of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone cancer with a high tendency for metastasis. Although treatment strategies involving surgery and chemotherapy have improved outcomes for patients with OS, the prognosis of recurrent OS is quite unsatisfactory. Primary reasons leading to mortality in OS patients are resistance to currently used therapies and the subsequent lung metastasis. Immunotherapy, however, has been shown to be a promising therapeutic strategy against OS. As research progresses, immunotherapy is gradually becoming irreplaceable. This article provides a critical evaluation of several therapeutic strategies for OS including immunomodulation, vaccine therapy, and immunologic checkpoint blockade.