Targeting the Wnt pathway in synovial sarcoma

Josiane Eid, M.D.,  Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Recipient of the: $25,000 research award

Synovial Sarcoma is an aggressive soft tissue tumor (SS) that afflicts young adults. Its high fatality rate warrants the design of more efficient curative approaches. SS is characterized by a unique translocation that creates the SYT-SSX fusion protein. SYT-SSX plays a central role in the development of SS. Here we present active Wnt/beta-catenin signaling as a downstream cascade of SYT-SSX and as an ideal candidate pathway for targeting in SS. We will generate murine models to assess the extent of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling contribution to SS formation and measure the effect of a specific pharmacological beta-catenin inhibitor on SS tumor growth.