Research Funded

Outbred Canine Model of Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Angiosarcoma

William Karl Decker, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
Recipient of the: $50,000 Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma Co-Founder Carl Firetto Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a deadly neoplasm of the dermal vascular endothelium that comprises roughly 1% of all soft tissue sarcomas. It is typically locally advanced at presentation, rendering surgical cure difficult and ... Read More

Modeling Epithelioid Sarcomagenesis in the Mouse

Jared Barrott, PhD, University of Utah
Recipient of the: $50,000 Jeffrey Thornton Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is one of the deadliest subtypes of soft-tissue sarcoma. Despite its benign presentation it often metastasizes to the lymph nodes and lungs and is essentially always recalcitrant to standard chemot... Read More

Next Generation CRISPR Phenotypic Screens for Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets in Rhabdomyosarcoma

Eleanor Chen, MD, PhD, University of Washington
Recipient of the: $50,000 Dr. Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. Survival rate remains poor for patients with relapsed or metastatic disease. There remains an urgent need for novel therapeutic targets. Our previous work ... Read More

The Next Generation of Antigen-Specific T cells for Sarcoma Therapies for Sarcoma

Seth Pollack, MD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Outcomes remain poor for patients with metastatic Synovial Sarcoma (SS) and Myxoid/ round cell liposarcoma (MRCL). Immunotherapeutic approaches may be well suited to SS and MRCL because both of these sarcoma subtypes chara... Read More

Pre-clinical development of anti-KIT CAR-Ts for metastatic GIST

Steven Katz, MD, Roger Williams Hospital
Recipient of the: $50,000 Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma Co-Founder Bill Suit Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumor of the gastrointestinal tract affecting approximately 5,000 individuals in the US each year. Up to 90% of GISTs arise from the interstitial cell... Read More

Adoptive cellular therapy for Ewing’s sarcoma

Meenakshi Hegde, MD, Baylor College of Medicine
Recipient of the: $50,000 Pittsburgh Cure Sarcoma Co-Founder Carl Firetto Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Tumor immunotherapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells has shown substantial efficacy in early phase clinical trials. Targeting a single tumor associated antigen (TAA) could however result in creation of... Read More

Improving T-cell Therapy for Osteosarcoma

Christopher DeRenzo, MD, Baylor College of Medicine
Recipient of the: $50,000 John Green/FTDWS Research Award

Abstract: The long-term goal of this project is to develop an effective immunotherapy for patients with metastatic and/or recurrent OS osteosarcoma (OS), whose prognosis remains poor despite aggressive multimodality therapy. Immunot... Read More

Epigenetic Mechanisms underlying Ewing Sarcoma Pathogenesis

Margaret Chou, Phd, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Recipient of the: $50,000 John Green/FTDWS Research Award

Abstract:   Rationale: Ewing sarcoma, the second most common pediatric bone cancer, is a highly lethal malignancy. Despite multimodal therapy, recurrence and mortality remain high for metastatic cases. It has been proposed th... Read More

Identification of Causative Genetic Networks in Angiosarcoma

Luisa Iruela-Arispe, Phd, University of California, Los Angeles
Recipient of the: $50,000 John Chomiak Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Malignant vascular tumors are a type of sarcoma that originates from transformed endothelial cells. While the disease is rare (2% of all sarcomas), these tumors are highly invasive and display low survival (50% lethality /... Read More

Therapeutically Targeting the Hippo Pathway in Osteosarcoma

Neil Ganem, PhD, Boston University School of Medicine
Recipient of the: $50,000 Alexander Burdo Research Award

Abstract: Osteosarcoma is a malignant bone cancer that predominantly affects young adults and children. Current treatments include pre-operative chemotherapy, followed by surgical removal of the tumor or amputation, and post-operati... Read More

Targeting the RB-pathway in sarcoma: Utility of CDK4/6 inhibitors

Khandan Keyomarsi, Phd, MD Anderson Cancer Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Dr. Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Sarcomas are a rare group of heterogeneous neoplasms arising from mesenchymal cells. Conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy have failed to greatly improve disease-specific survival rates for most sarcoma... Read More

Epigenetic control of stem cell identity in rhabdoid sarcomas

Alex Kentsis, MD, Phd, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Dr. Richard and Valerie Aronsohn Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Sarcomas characterized by the deficiency of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling, including rhabdoid and synovial sarcomas, remain mostly lethal in spite of intensive chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. Normal cells do not tol... Read More

Targeting the Pentose Phosphate Pathway for the Treatment of Synovial Sarcoma

Brian Van Tine, MD, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Synovial Sarcoma (SS) is a translocation dependent subtype of soft tissue sarcoma that arises from the fusion of SYT and SSX. The hybrid transcript factor SYT:SSX modulates SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling and gene expression.... Read More

BiCAR-VZV T cells for the treatment of Sarcoma

Cliona Rooney, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Sarcomas pose a significant therapeutic challenge as even intensifying chemotherapy has produced little improvement in the survival of patients with metastatic sarcoma. Therefore, a new approach to treating these tumors is... Read More

Kinase Activity Profiling in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Michael Major, PhD, University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Arguably, the 518 protein kinases which make up the human kinome constitute the most tractable group of new cancer targets. However, despite its well-established ‘druggability’ and central position within key signaling... Read More

Identification of novel therapeutic targets in Ewing’s Sarcoma by modeling tumorigenesis in differentiating human embryonic stem cells

David Gordon, MD, PhD, University of Iowa
Recipient of the: $50,000 Sarcoma Foundation of America Research Award

Abstract: Ewing's Sarcoma (ES) is a bone and soft tissue malignancy that occurs in children, adolescents and adults.  This cancer is defined by a recurrent chromosomal translocation between the EWSR1 gene and different ETS genes, s... Read More

CAR T Cell Therapy for Sarcoma

Liang-Chuan Wang, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Recipient of the: $50,000 Pittsburgh 5K Cure Sarcoma Research Award

Abstract: Sarcomas are malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin with more than 50 distinct histologic subtypes. This disease can be found anywhere in the body, and it has a high rate of early metastasis. Despite advances in surgery an... Read More

Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor: Establishment and Validation of New Cell Lines and Therapeutic Targeting of the EWS-WT1 Transcription Factor using Splice Switching Oligonucleotides

Lee Spraggon, PhD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Kate McGarrigle Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is an aggressive primitive sarcoma of adolescents and young adults. The hallmark and key genetic driver of DSRCT is the EWS-WT1 gene fusion, which encodes an oncogenic chimeric t... Read More

Proteomic and genomic approaches to understanding intrinsic and acquired resistance to CDK4 inhibition therapy in well differentiated/dedifferentiated liposarcoma

Andrew Koff, PhD, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Recipient of the: $50,000 Heidi Connery Memorial Research Award

Abstract: Well differentiated/dedifferentiated liposarcoma (WD/DDLS) is the most common form of soft tissue sarcoma, characterized by genomic amplification of the CDK4 and MDM2 oncogenes. This disease is both chemo- and radio- resis... Read More

Targeting YAP/HIPPO pathway in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma

Eleanor Chen, MD, PhD, University of Washington
Recipient of the: $50,000 Ashley Davis Memorial/Miles 2 Give Research Award

Abstract: Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS) is a cancer of skeletal muscle and is one of the most common pediatric sarcomas. The major clinical challenge is to identify novel and effective therapy for treating patients with relapse ... Read More

B7-H3-Engager T cells for the immunotherapy of osteosarcoma

Christopher DeRenzo, MD, Baylor College of Medicine
Recipient of the: $50,000 Alexander Burdo/ZIOPHARM Research Award

Abstract: • Christopher DeRenzo, MD, Baylor College of Medicine • Recipient of the $50,000 Alexander Burdo/ZIOPHARM Research Award • Abstract: The long-term goal of this project is to develop an effective immunotherapy for p... Read More