| Osteosarcoma has a high prevalence among children and adolescents. Common treatments of
this disease are not promising enough. Molecular processes involved in the pathogenesis of
osteosarcoma are not fully understood. Besides, the remnants of tumor cells after surgery can
cause bone destruction and recurrence of the disease. Thus, there is a need to develop novel
drugs or enhancing the currently-used drugs as well as identifying bone-repairing methods.
Chitosan is a natural compound produced by the deacetylation of chitin. Research has shown that
chitosan can be used in various fields due to its beneficial effects, such as biodegradability and
biocompatibility. Regarding cancer, chitosan exerts several anti-tumor activities. Moreover, it
can be used in diagnostic techniques, drug delivery systems, and cell culture methods. Herein,
we aim to discuss the potential roles of chitosan in studying and treating osteosarcoma. We
review the literature on chitosan’s applications as a drug delivery system and how it can be
combined with other substances to improve its ability of local drug delivery. We take a look into
the studies concerning the possible benefits of chitosan in the field of bone tissue engineering
and 3D culturing. Furthermore, anti-cancer activities of different compounds of chitosan are
reviewed. |