We are delighted to share an important milestone in osteosarcoma research and in the journey of The Bardo Foundation.

About The Project

A new scientific paper, co-funded by the Bardo Foundation with the Myrovlytis Trust, has been published. It marks the first-ever published paper from a project supported by The Bardo Foundation, a moment that represents both progress and hope for families searching for better answers.

The study, led by Professor Nancy Klauber-DeMore and her team at the Medical University of South Carolina, explores a protein called SFRP2 and what happens when you block it with a specially developed antibody.

If you’re not familiar with SFRP2 yet, it’s a signal that helps cancer cells grow, spread, and avoid the immune system. High levels of SFRP2 have been linked to more aggressive osteosarcoma, making it a promising and important target for new treatment approaches.

Why This Matters

For decades, survival rates for metastatic or relapsed osteosarcoma have barely changed. Standard treatments like chemotherapy and surgery save lives, but for many young people with lung metastases, new options are urgently needed.

Immunotherapy (which helps the immune system recognise and attack cancer) has transformed treatment for several cancer types. But in osteosarcoma, drugs like PD-1 inhibitors have not, so far, produced the results families hoped for.

This study asks a hopeful, forward-looking question: What if we could help immunotherapy work better by removing one of the cancer’s defences?

What the Researchers Found

The team tested a humanised antibody designed to block SFRP2 by essentially placing a roadblock in front of a communication signal cancer cells rely on. Here is what they saw in models of metastatic osteosarcoma.

• The antibody reduced lung metastases on its own. Mice treated with the SFRP2 antibody developed far fewer lung tumours than untreated mice.
• It made PD-1 immunotherapy more effective. PD-1 inhibitors showed very limited effect alone. But when combined with the SFRP2 antibody, the response was much stronger, suggesting a potential way to overcome immunotherapy resistance.
• It supported healthy immune function. The antibody helped restore T-cell activity by reducing proteins such as CD38 and PD-1 that contribute to immune exhaustion.
• It appeared safe and well tolerated. Throughout the study, researchers reported no weight loss or visible signs of toxicity in treated animals.

Although this work is still at an early stage, it opens a promising door: a possible strategy to strengthen the immune system’s ability to fight metastatic osteosarcoma.

What Happens Next? Moving This Research Forward

This publication is a major step, but it’s also part of a much bigger journey. Here’s what the next phase of this work is likely to include:

·        Understanding the biology more deeply. Researchers will continue studying how the antibody affects both tumour cells and immune cells. This includes refining the dose and schedule and exploring how SFRP2 interacts with other signalling pathways.

·        Testing in more advanced preclinical models. To move toward treating humans, scientists need to test the therapy in more complex systems that better reflect real osteosarcoma. These studies help confirm whether the benefits seen so far hold true across different tumour types and over longer periods.

·        Preparing for early-stage clinical trials. If future data continue to show strong results, the next milestone would be planning a clinical trial. Early trials focus on safety, but they also provide the first crucial insights into how a new therapy behaves in people.

All of these steps take time, collaboration, and sustained funding but each one brings us closer to real, meaningful change.

A Milestone for The Bardo Foundation

This publication is more than a scientific achievement. It is a testament to the courage of families, the dedication of researchers, and the commitment of every supporter who believes better treatments are possible.

With this paper, we celebrate:

• Our first published research output
• A growing investment in innovative targets like SFRP2
• Progress that would not be possible without community support through fundraising, donations, and sponsorship.

We are deeply grateful to the Myrolvytis Trust, whose co-funding helped make this project a reality.

Join Us in Funding the Future of Osteosarcoma Research

This is only the beginning. Research like this depends on long-term support and you can be part of the progress.

By becoming a Bardo Champion, you help fund more breakthroughs, more resources for patients, and a deeper understanding of osteosarcoma biology.

You can join the movement here https://thebardofoundation.org/pages/donate

Together, we can build a future where research moves faster, treatments improve, and every young person diagnosed with osteosarcoma has hope for better outcomes.

Citation:

Nancy Klauber-DeMore, Patrick Nasarre Bardo, Denise I. Garcia Bardo, Julie B. Siegel Bardo, Ingrid V. Bonilla Bardo , Rupak Mukherjee Bardo, Eleanor Hilliard Bardo, Paramita Chakraborty Bardo, Cécile Nasarre Bardo, Jason T. Yustein, Margaret Lang Bardo, Aneese A. Jaffa Bardo, Shikhar Mehrotra Bardo