Even with chemotherapy and aggressive surgery, the clinical outcome for patients with osteosarcoma—the most common malignant bone tumor found in the pediatric population, has shown no improvement over the last four decades, with 30 to 40 percent of patients experiencing relapse and metastatic disease.

Bang Hoang, M.D., has received a four-year, $1.6 million NIH grant to study the molecular pathway by which the oncogene Skp2 interacts with the protein Cks—an interaction that appears to play a role in causing osteosarcoma—and develop therapies targeting this pathway. In previous research, Dr. Hoang and colleagues showed that the high levels of Skp2 found in many osteosarcoma cell types are associated with poor prognosis in patients. They have also shown that inhibiting Skp2 reduces proliferation and invasion in osteosarcoma cell lines. New insights into the novel Skp2/Cks interaction may lead to better treatments, not only for osteosarcoma but also for other cancers fueled by Skp2-mediated activity. Dr. Hoang is professor of orthopaedic surgery at Einstein and co-director of the Orthopaedic Oncology Division at Montefiore

In addition, Dr. Hoang also received a gift of $1.5 million from Einstein Board of Trustee member Arnold Penner and his wife, Madaleine Berley. The gift names and creates the Arnold S. and Madaleine Penner Endowed Chair, a title to be held by the Director of the Musculoskeletal Oncology Research Lab, who is currently Dr. Hoang. (1R01CA255613 01A1)