Biological Advances and Current Challenges for Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma.

Cancers
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Despite comprehensive and multi-modal therapy, outcomes for children and adolescents with rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) have plateaued over the past four decades. This is not for a lack of progress in the basic and translational studies of RMS. Indeed, advances in animal models and/or patient tissue sample acquisition and analysis have improved our understanding of RMS biology. Large-scale sequencing efforts have generated transcriptomic, genomic, and epigenomic datasets that highlight the heterogeneity of RMS and have the potential to improve prognostication and the application of precision medicine in patients with RMS. However, few of these discoveries have been clinically translated, and limitations to the accessibility, uniformity, and application of these new models and datasets hinder their utility. Here, we discuss how advances in understanding RMS biology, optimization of preclinical models, and strategies for translating basic science discoveries to the clinic can potentially improve outcomes for patients with RMS.

Year of Publication
2026
Journal
Cancers
Volume
18
Issue
6
Date Published
03/2026
ISSN
2072-6694
DOI
10.3390/cancers18060888
PubMed ID
41899494
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