ALDH Activity Correlates with Metastatic Potential in Primary Sarcomas of Bone

Osteosarcoma (OS), chondrosarcoma (CSA), and Ewings sarcoma (ES) are the most common primary malignancies of bone, and are rare diseases. As with all sarcomas, the prognosis of these diseases ultimately depends on the presence of metastatic disease. Survival is therefore closely linked with the biology and metastatic potential of a particular bone tumor's cells. Here we describe a significant correlation of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity and the presence/absence of distant metastases in ten consecutive cases of human bone sarcomas. Additionally, cultured human CSA cells, which are historically chemo- and radio-resistant, may be sensitive to the ALDH inhibitor, disulfiram. While it is premature to draw broad conclusions from such a small series, the importance of ALDH activity and inhibition in the metastatic potential of primary bone sarcomas should be investigated further.