Research Funded

Understand and target ATRX mutation in undifferentiated sarcoma

Haoqiang Ying, MD, PhD, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Soft tissue sarcomas are a collection of rare tumor types originated from soft tissues such as muscle, tendon, fat, etc. Among them, undifferentiated sarcomas represent a group of the most common types of soft tissue sarco... Read More

The Role of MYC Amplification in Shaping the Osteosarcoma Tumor Microenvironment

Breelyn Wilky, MD, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents, comprising 3-5% of all pediatric cancers. Overall survival rates for high-grade OS in the pediatric population are only ~60% and have rem... Read More

The PDGF/PI3K/AKT Axis in Mesenchymal Chondrosarcoma: Functional Characterization and Implications for Anticancer Therapy

Lu Wang, MD, PhD, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Recipient of the: $50,000 Therese McCarthy Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a high-grade, malignant, primitive mesenchymal tumor. It accounts for 2%~4% of all chondrosarcomas and mainly affects adolescents and young adults. Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma has a strong tren... Read More

The sarcoma tumor microbiome as a therapeutic target

Gabriel Tinoco, MD, The Ohio State University
Recipient of the: $50,000 Jay Vernon Jackson Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Background: Sarcoma is a heterogeneous group of malignant tumors that consist of distinct histological and molecular subtypes, each with unique clinical, therapeutic and prognostic features. Despite immunotherapy showing p... Read More

Examining oncofusion-driven transcript and protein isoforms that underpin fitness relationships essential for Ewing sarcoma tumor formation and metastasis

Poul Sorensen, MD, PhD, BC Cancer
Recipient of the: $50,000 Happy Jack/Giving Tuesday Research Award

Abstract: Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is the second most common childhood bone malignancy, primarily affecting children, adolescents and young adults. The mutational landscape of the EwS genome is relatively quiet and is primarily defined b... Read More

Modulation of the tumor immune microenvironment by targeting STAT3 and CD47-SIRPa axis for the treatment of osteosarcoma-lung metastasis.

Pradeep Shrestha, PhD, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Technoblade Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Despite the multimodal treatment approach with aggressive chemotherapy and surgery, 30-35% of Osteosarcoma (OS) patients develop lung metastases and the survival rate for these patients is <20%. Novel therapeutic strate... Read More

Understanding the determinants of cell fate decisions in pediatric rhabdomyosarcomas

Beat Schaefer, PhD, University Children's Hospital Zurich
Recipient of the: $50,000 Marcia Brodsky Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Alveolar rhabdomyosarcomas (aRMS) are highly aggressive pediatric sarcomas, associated with the skeletal muscle lineage. These tumors are believed to originate from differentiation defects during myogenesis, the process of... Read More

Sarcoma Immunotherapy by Attenuated Salmonella Typhimurium Engineered for Tumor Specific Production of Immunomodulators.

Daniel Saltzman, MD, PhD, Regents of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Recipient of the: $50,000 Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Abstract: A significant impediment to the development of curative cancer therapy is the dose-limiting toxicity of therapeutic anticancer treatments. We have developed tumor-targeted bacterially delivered anticancer immunotherapy to ... Read More

Oncolytic virotherapy: An alternative immune based strategy leveraging cancer testis antigens in synovial sarcoma

Steven Robinson, MBBS, MAYO CLINIC, ROCHESTER, MN
Recipient of the: $50,000 Adrienne Smith and John Pritchard Memorial Award

Abstract: Synovial sarcoma (SS) is an aggressive cancer that disproportionately affects young adults. The ability to target immune checkpoints has contributed to the overall decline in predicted cancer mortality rates. However patie... Read More

Identifying DNA damage repair-related vulnerabilities in leiomyosarcoma

Gloria Ravegnini, PhD, University of Bologna
Recipient of the: $50,000 Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is one of the most common subtypes of soft tissue sarcoma. Classically, LMSs are characterized by an aggressive clinical course, a heterogeneous genetic profile and a very poor response to cytotoxic ch... Read More

Dual targeting of CDK4/6 and PI3K/mTOR in high-risk osteosarcoma

Karen Pollok, PhD, Indiana University
Recipient of the: $50,000 St. Louis Cure Sarcoma 6k Research Award

Abstract: In children, adolescents, and young adults (AYA), osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of bone cancer. Approximately 25-50% of OS patients have metastatic lesions at the time of diagnosis and no standard second-line t... Read More

Integrative multi-Omic analysis of PEComa: biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets

Andrea Napolitano, MD, PhD, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Perivascular Epithelioid Cell tumours (PEComas) are a group of ultra-rare mesenchymal tumours most commonly occurring in the 4th and 5th decade with a strong female predominance. Most PEComas have specific driver mutations... Read More

Analysis of Cancer Health Disparities in Osteosarcoma by scRNA-seq

Susan Miranda, PhD, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Amira Yunis Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Osteosarcoma is a cancer that starts in the bone, and affects mostly children, especially during puberty. Osteosarcoma has a ~33% higher incidence in African Americans (AA) (6.8 per million persons per year) than in whites... Read More

The Cancer Genome as a Novel Target for Malignant Osteosarcoma Immunotherapy

Kevin McHugh, PhD, William Marsh Rice University
Recipient of the: $50,000 Chris Langbein Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare but devastating form of bone cancer that often affects pediatric populations. Patient survival is highly dependent on the stage of OS diagnosis. If identified early, when cancer remains localize... Read More

Targeting Actin-like 6A (ACTL6A) for Ewing Sarcoma (EwS) Treatment

Mingli Li, PhD, City of Hope
Recipient of the: $50,000 Jaclyn Ehrlich Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Ewing sarcoma (EwS), the second most common bone cancer in children and adolescents, represents 16% of primary bone sarcoma. Over 80% of EwS is induced by the expression of fusion protein EWSR1-FLI1. EWSR1-FLI1 leads to Ew... Read More

Translational studies in the GEMMK trial: Optimising immunotherapy in leiomyosarcoma and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma

Robin Jones, M.D. (Res), M.R.C.P, MB BS, BSc, ROYAL MARSDEN HOSPITAL
Recipient of the: $50,000 Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Despite significant advances taking place for immunotherapies across many cancers, success in soft tissue sarcomas (STS) has been limited. Patient outcomes for advanced/metastatic sarcomas are poor, and since the early 197... Read More

A small molecule that targets MiT/TFE dysregulated sarcomas

Rizwan Haq, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Dysregulation of MiT/TFE transcription factors (TFE3, TFEB, TFEC, and MITF) drive a subset of rare solid tumors across lineages, including alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), and clear cell sarcoma (CCS). In ASPS, the defin... Read More

Predicting the response of secondary angiosarcomas to cemiplimab

Ingrid Desar, MD, PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre
Recipient of the: $50,000 Catherine Malatesta Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Predicting the response of secondary angiosarcomas to cemiplimab Angiosarcomas (AS) are rare and aggressive tumors that arise from the vascular endothelium. AS can present anywhere in the body and can either develop sponta... Read More

Structural and functional genomics characterization of complex karyotype sarcomas for targeting perturbed telomere maintenance mechanisms

Priya Chudasama, PhD, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ)
Recipient of the: $50,000 Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Sarcomas, just as other cancers, achieve replicative immortality by reactivating mechanisms that maintain the ends of their chromosomes, called telomeres. Complex genetics sarcomas, such as leiomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, un... Read More

Overcoming fusion oncoprotein dependence through CIC-DUX4 target gene inhibition in undifferentiated sarcoma

Ross Okimoto, MD, University of California, San Francisco
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: The CIC-DUX4 fusion oncoprotein is an understudied molecular entity that characterizes a rare but lethal subset of undifferentiated round cell sarcomas. CIC-DUX4 patients have dismal clinical outcomes due to 1) an incomple... Read More

Redirecting B7H3 CAR T cells To Sarcoma using Midkine Receptors

Jessica Lake, MD, University of Colorado
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Advances in pediatric oncology have occurred for some cancers, however, new therapies for sarcoma (osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma) have been sparse. The 5-year disease-free survival is 20-30% for patients with metastati... Read More

Function and targeting of a 5hmC-methylosome complex in synovial sarcoma

Le Su, PhD, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Synovial sarcoma is a deadly form of malignant soft tissue tumors, most commonly affecting children and young adults. Approximately all the patients bear a pathognomonic chromosomal translocation, t(X;18), which fuses the ... Read More

Uncover principles underlying cryoablation-induced immunotherapy effects in sarcomas

Alex Huang, MD, PhD, Case Western Reserve University
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Malignant sarcomas comprise 12% of all pediatric cancers. Despite its rare occurrence, sarcomas are life threatening and difficult to treat, and nearly half of all patients will have recurrence and metastasis.  The two mo... Read More

Characterising the Proteomic Landscape of Angiosarcomas

Paul Huang, PhD, Royal Marsden Hospital
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Angiosarcoma (AS) is an aggressive disease that accounts for 2-3% of soft tissue sarcomas (STS). The long-term outlook of patients with incurable advanced or metastatic disease is poor, with a median overall survival of le... Read More

A novel precision medicine approach to treat advanced liposarcoma

Harri Sihto, PhD, University of Helsinki
Recipient of the: $50,000 Florence & Marshall Schwid Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Liposarcomas (LPSs) are heterogenous group of soft-tissue sarcomas, which outcome depends strongly on the site of the primary tumor and tumor histotype. At the moment, there are not available any efficacious targeted thera... Read More