Telangiectatic osteosarcoma(TAEOS) is a rare subtype of osteosarcoma(OS) composed of blood-filled or empty cystic architecture simulating aneurysmal bone cyst. TAEOSs account for 2-12% of all OSs. TAEOSs mostly develop around knee and proximal humerus, but TAEOSs of the jaws are rare. To the best of my knowledge, this is the fourth case of primary TAEOS affecting the jaws. A 36-year-old female who had been previously diagnosed osteosarcoma by biopsy reported with a chief complaint of throbbing and swelling of the right mandible. The patient received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by hemi-mandibulectomy. After surgery, patient received adjuvant chemotherapy. The patient is free of disease for 6 months after surgery. TAEOSs are mimicking other benign entities, such as aneurysmal bone cyst and central giant cell granuloma. Thus, careful diagnosis through thorough radiographic and histopathologic evaluation is important to establish a treatment plan, prognosis, prediction and management strategy.

Sarcomatous transformation of fibrous dysplasia (FD) is rare and can occur in patients with McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS). To date, there have been several cases of malignant transformation of FD in the craniofacial area of patients with MAS. Here, we report an additional case of secondary osteosarcoma arising from FD in the mandible of a 41-year-old woman with MAS. The patient complained of rapid swelling in the right facial area, which was initially misdiagnosed as soft tissue sarcoma at another hospital. After neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy resulting in poor response, the lesion was surgically resected in our hospital, and the final diagnosis of secondary osteosarcoma was rendered. Currently, post-operative adjuvant chemotherapy is in progress. As a result of our review of 17 reported cases showing malignant transformation in FD/MAS, the M/F ratio was 1:1.1, and the median age at onset of malignancy was 28.6 years. The most commonly affected site was the craniofacial bones (n=13; 76%), and the most common histopathologic type of malignancy was osteosarcoma (n=14; 82%). More than half of the patients (8/15; 53.3%) died within 1 year, mainly due to lung metastasis (6/8; 75%). Taken together, since MAS patients with malignant transformation of FD have a relatively poor prognosis, accurate diagnosis based on histopathologic findings as well as clinical and radiographic information is important to select optimal treatment.

Demethoxycurcumin (DMC), which is a curcuminoid found in turmeric, has anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells. However, the effect of DMC on osteosarcoma has not been established. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of DMC on cell growth and apoptosis induction in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells. This study was investigated using 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromid assay, Live/Dead cell assay, 4’, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, and immunoblotting in MG-63 cells. DMC induced MG-63 cell death in a dosedependent manner, with an estimated IC50 value of 54.4 μM. DMC treatment resulted in nuclear condensation in MG-63 cells. DMC-induced apoptosis in MG-63 cells was mediated by the expression of Fas and activation of caspase-8, caspase-3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. Immunoblotting results showed that Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were downregulated, while Bax and Bad were upregulated by DMC in MG-63 cells. These results indicated that DMC inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells via the death receptormediated extrinsic apoptotic pathway and mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptotic pathway.

Parosteal osteosarcoma, a subtype of juxtacortical osteosarcoma, has a better prognosis compared to central osteosarcoma with a relatively low risk for recurrence and metastasis. Rarely, it can arise synchronously with other malignant tumors. Synchronous malignancies are defined as the occurrence of a second primary malignancy within 6 months of the appearance of the first malignancy. Here in, we introduce a 64-year-old woman who visited the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Yonsei University Dental Hospital with a 2 year history of a whitish verrucous lesion on the palate. She presented an exophytic mass on mandible during the following visits. Histopathologic evaluation revealed a synchronous parosteal osteosarcoma and squamous cell on right mandible and a precancerous verrucous leukoplakia on the palate.

Quercetin is a natural flavonoid phytochemical that is extracted from various plants. Having an advantages due to its varied biological properties, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects, quercetin is used to treat many diseases. Recently, it has been reported that autophagy inhibition may play a key role in anti-cancer therapy. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms and anti-cancer effects of quercetin in human osteosarcoma cells via autophagy inhibition. We ascertained that quercetin inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell death, these process is demonstrated that apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway and the caspase cascade. Quercetin also induced autophagy which was inhibited by 3-MA, autophagy inhibitor and the blockade of autophagy promoted the quercetin-induced apoptosis, confirming that autophagy is a pro-survival process. Thus, these findings demonstrate that quercetin is an effective anti-cancer agent, and the combination of quercetin and an autophagy inhibitor should enhance the effect of anti-cancer therapy.

Small cell osteosarcoma of bone, which was first described in 1979, is an unusual variant of osteosarcoma. Osteoid production by tumor cells is frequently focal or minimal, making the differential diagnosis with other small round cell tumors of bone difficult. Here, we present a rare case of small cell osteosarcoma of the mandible appearing as bony bulging mass in 31-year-old male who has neither tenderness nor paresthesia. Histologically, the tumor contains hypercellular cartilage and abnormal osteoid associated with small round to ovoid malignant cells. Awareness of small cell osteosarcoma should be emphasized because it has worse prognosis than both other small round cell tumor and conventional osteosarcoma.

Anti-proliferation of methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome on oral squamous cell carcinoma (KB) and osteosarcoma (HOS) cells were investigated. In order to elucidate the involvement of telomerase inhibitory activity as a part of anti-proliferative effect of Curcuma rhizome on cancer cells, we measured telomerase activity in Curcuma rhizome extract-treated cancer cells. The concentration inhibited cell proliferation to 50% (IC50)of the methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome against oral squamous cell carcinoma (KB) cells and osteosarcoma (HOS) cells were 21.30 μg/mℓ and 39.3μg/mℓ respectively. The methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome showed inhibitory telomerase inhibitory effect which is required for cancer cell immortality. Therefore, it seems that the anticancer effect of methanol extract of Curcuma rhizome is at least partially due to telomerase inhibitory effect. Five fraction samples were prepared according to its polarity differences and analyzed anti-proliferative effects of each fraction samples on oral squamous cell carcinoma and osteosarcoma cells. Anticancer effect was observed in dichloromethane, and ethylacetate fractions. The highest anticancer effect was found in dichloromethane fraction which had IC50value of 23.3 μg/mℓ and 10.5μg/mℓ against oral squamous cell carcinoma (KB) cells and osteosarcoma (HOS) cells, respectively.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most common malignant primary bone tumors and NF-κB appears to play a causative role, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. OS is one of the pleomorphic, highly metastasized and invasive neoplasm which is capable to generate osteoid, osteoclast and osteoblast matrix. Its high incidence has been reported in adolescent and children. Cell signal cascade is the pivotal functional mechanism acquired during the differentiation, proliferation, growth and survival of the cells in neoplasm including OS. The major limitation to the success of chemotherapy in OS is the development of multidrug resistance (MDR). Answers to all such queries might come from the knock-in experiments in which the combined approach of miRNAs with NF-κB pathway is put into use. Abnormal miRNAs can modulate several epigenetical switching as a hallmark of number of diseases via different cell signaling. Studies on miRNAs have opened up the new avenues for both the diagnosis and treatment of cancers including OS. Collectively, through the present study an attempt has been made to establish a new systematic approach for the investigation of microRNAs, biophysiological factors and their target pairs with NF-κB to ameliorate oncogenesis with the “bridge between miRNAs and NF- κB”. The application of NF-κB inhibitors in combination with miRNAs is expected to result in a more efficient killing of the cancer stem cells and a slower or less likely recurrence of cancer.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered to be attractive approaching in gene or drug delivery for cancer therapeutic strategies. In this study, the ability and feasibility of human bone marrow derived MSCs expressing the cytosine deaminase (CD)/5-Fluorocytosin (5-FC) prodrug was evaluated to target human osteosarcoma cell line Cal-72. At first, the fibroblast-like cells were successfully obtained from human bone marrow and demonstrated that they contained full of stem characteristics by the ability of differentiation into adipocyte/osteocyte and expression of typical mesenchymal markers CD90, CD44, while negative for CD34 and CD133 markers. We established the stable CD-expressing MSCs cell line (CD-MSCs) by transfection of pEGFP-C3 containing cytosine deaminase::uracil phos-phoribosyltransferase (CD::UPRT) gene into MSCs, and confirmed that the manipulated MSCs still remained full characteristics of multipotent cells and shown migration toward human osteosarcoma cancer cells Cal-72 as high as origin MSCs. Based on bystander effect, the therapeutic CD-MSCs significantly augmented the cytotoxicity on cancer cell Cal72 in either direct co-culture or conditioned medium in the presence of 5-FC. Moreover, in osteosarcoma cancer- bearing mice, the therapeutic CD/5-FC MSCs showed the inhibition of tumor growth compared with control mice which was s.c injected with only Cal72. Our findings suggest that these therapeutic CD-MSCs may be suitable and viable cellular vehicles for targeting human osteosarcoma cancer.