Funded by the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund
Malignant rhabdoid tumors and epithelioid sarcomas are rare cancers that can develop throughout the body. Sadly, these tumors are often deadly for patients who can’t have surgery or whose tumors don’t respond to chemotherapy. Recently, a new drug called tazemetostat has been approved to treat these cancers, but only about 15% of patients get better with it. Our new research project explores DNA damage repair and targeting its mediators in tumors cells to offer new treatments to patients. Our past research shows that a protein called ATR is important for the growth of tumor cells. It is possible that other similar proteins are necessary for tumor growth and is therefore important that we study them to understand if ES and MRT patients may benefit from other drugs that interfere with these processes. For example, we found that combinations of drugs, chosen logically based on research evidence, is more effective in controlling tumor cell expansion, when compared to using drugs alone. We plan to find the best combination of novel drug inhibitors to stop these tumors from growing. We also want to understand how these drugs work in the body so we can predict which patients will benefit the most. This research should lead to a new, safe, and effective treatment for many patients with RT and ES who currently have no cure. The findings might also help treat other types of childhood and young adult cancers, creating a roadmap for difficult to treat tumors.
