Huntsman Cancer Institute

Huntsman Cancer Institute

75 South 2000 East, Rm 211

Salt Lake City, UT 84112

United States

GSTM4, a novel target for treating Ewing sarcoma.

Ewing sarcoma is a highly malignant bone cancer that occurs mostly in children and teenagers. Conventional treatment for Ewing sarcoma consists of multi-drug chemotherapy and surgery and/or radiation. These intensive treatments are toxic and have severe side effects and yet failed to improve the overall cure rate. New and effective therapies are needed.

Stephen Lessnick, MD/PhD

Huntsman Cancer Institute

Molecular diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic approaches toward Ewing sarcoma.

Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing's sarcoma is an aggressive bone tumor of children and young adults. Current treatment for this disease involves intensive chemotherapy, along with surgery and/or radiation therapy. These treatments are associated with serious short- and long-term side effects. Even with such intensive treatment, the overall 5-year cure rates for Ewing's sarcoma are on the order of 50%. There are two important unmet clinical needs for Ewing's sarcoma: improved diagnostic approaches to molecularly-characterize tumors, and improved therapies that target tumor-specific abnormalities.

The TC3 Line, a Zebrafish Model of T-Cell Malignancy

Leukemia, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Background

Protocols for the treatment of childhood cancers are beginning to incorporate our current knowledge of cancer genetics. For example, certain DNA mutations in a child's cancer might indicate that the disease will be difficult to cure. In such cases, curative treatments will need to be more intense. Conversely, children with mutations which indicate their disease is easier to cure can be spared high doses of chemotherapy. By this approach doctors hope to maximize cure rates while minimizing toxic side-effects, which can be severe.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer