Investigating immune cells in sarcoma tumours

Sadly, for many children with cancers of the bone or muscle (sarcomas) the chance of being cured is still low. This is particularly true for those whose cancer has spread or come back. Current treatments are based on medicines that have not changed much for many years. Recently treatments which use a patient’s own immune system to kill the cancer have been tried, but in many cases these haven’t worked for children. At the moment, we don’t understand why.  

The research team at the University of Birmingham, led by Dr Francis Mussai, plan to gather 50 samples from children with sarcomas, and study two key immune cells inside the tumours. They will take microscope slides of the tumours, and then use a laser to cut out the immune cells. The genetics of the immune cells will then be analysed, which Dr Francis Mussai hopes will give them an idea of why the immune cells aren’t working properly. The research team is made up of a consultant and scientist who treats children with sarcomas, a consultant pathologist who diagnoses sarcomas in the hospital laboratory, and laboratory experts in working with immune cells and genetic data. Together they have performed similar research in adult cancers. This project is only a first step, but the information gained will allow researchers to design better immune therapies for children with sarcomas in the future.