Finding drug and immune therapy targets for synovial sarcoma
Official title: Project 3: Identifying Targetable Epigenetic and Immuno-Oncologic Vulnerabilities in Synovial Sarcoma
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11181599 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks for weaknesses in synovial sarcoma cells that new drugs or immune therapies could target for people with synovial sarcoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $433,378 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA217694-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181599 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with synovial sarcoma—especially those with metastatic or recurrent disease or whose tumors have undergone genomic profiling—would be most relevant to this project.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other cancer types, or those whose tumors lack the specific fusion-related or epigenetic changes studied here, are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would be part of work that maps how the SS18::SSX fusion and related changes to tumor chromatin make synovial sarcoma cells vulnerable. Researchers will use tumor genomic data, engineered cell lines, and immune‑peptidomics to find shared neoantigens created by the fusion protein and epigenetic changes that drugs could exploit. They will test combinations of epigenetic drugs and T cell–based approaches in the lab and plan to translate promising findings into early clinical trials. The team combines experts in cancer genomics, epigenetics, T cell biology, and sarcoma clinical care to move lab discoveries toward treatments for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug and immune therapy targets that lead to longer-lasting control or remissions of metastatic synovial sarcoma.
How similar studies have gone: Approaches targeting neoantigens and epigenetic vulnerabilities have shown promise in some cancers but are still experimental in synovial sarcoma.
Where this research is happening
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Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ladanyi, Marc — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Ladanyi, Marc
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targetable Epigenetic and Immuno-Oncologic Vulnerabilities in Synovial Sarcoma
A cancer research project at Sloan Kettering aims to find epigenetic and immune vulnerabilities in synovial sarcoma to guide future treatments.
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Sensor-based test for synovial sarcoma that detects SS18-SSX fusion mRNA and protein
A patient-friendly test is being developed to rapidly and precisely detect the SS18-SSX cancer hallmark in synovial sarcoma using a new nanopore sensing method.
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Targeting a specific pathway to treat synovial sarcoma
This work explores a new way to stop synovial sarcoma, a type of cancer, by disrupting a process called SUMOylation.
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Disruption of a specific protein modification to treat synovial sarcoma
This study is exploring a new way to treat synovial sarcoma, a type of cancer that usually affects younger people, by using a special drug called TAK-981 to target a process that helps the cancer grow, with the hope of damaging the cancer cells and reducing tumors in mice.
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Finding treatment weaknesses in synovial sarcoma cancer cells
This study is looking at a type of cancer called synovial sarcoma to find out how certain genetic changes might make it more vulnerable to new treatments, especially by combining special therapies that target genes with those that help the immune system fight the cancer.
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Testing new therapies for pediatric and young adult sarcoma, kidney, and liver cancers
Researchers are testing new drugs and smart combinations in models of pediatric cancers to help guide future treatments for kids and young adults.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.