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Updated: Jun 21, 2026

Three-Dimensional Bone Extracellular Matrix Model for Osteosarcoma
Published on: April 12, 2019
Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 in osteosarcomas and normal bone tissues
Sigrun Ressler1, Jasim Radhi, Thomas Aigner
1Cell Metabolism and Differentiation Research Group, Institute for Biomedical Aging Research of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Innsbruck, Austria.
Background:
To better understand the significance of local insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) in the development of osteosarcoma, IGFBP-3 levels and subcellular localization were compared in biopsies from osteosarcomas and unaffected normal bone tissues.
Patients And Methods:
IGFBP-3 levels were analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 21 osteosarcomas and 5 unaffected bone tissues. IGFBP-3 levels were compared for patient outcome.
Results:
Mature osteocytes of normal bone tissues contained high levels of predominantly nuclear IGFBP-3, whereas only 50% of osteosarcomas contained IGFBP-3-positive tumor cells, with predominantly cytoplasmic IGFBP-3 staining. Comparison of IGFBP-3 levels for patient outcome resulted in two groups. Patients with a low level of IGFBP-3 in osteosarcoma experienced a trend for a shorter survival time than did patients with a high level of IGFBP-3.
Conclusion:
Our results suggest that the levels and subcellular localization of local IGFBP-3 play a role in osteosarcoma development. Further prospective evaluation with higher clinical sample numbers might reveal a prognostic role for IGFBP-3 level in local tumors in patients with osteosarcoma.
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