How ancestry affects Ewing sarcoma genes using patient-derived stem cells
Official title: Deconvoluting the Ewing sarcoma genetic program using ancestry-informed human iPSC modeling
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11309092 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using stem cells from people of different ancestries to see how the EWS‑FLI1 cancer driver acts in Ewing sarcoma and why risk differs among children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | April 7, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $481,405 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA276345-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11309092 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal contributors are patients, survivors, or healthy donors from diverse ancestral backgrounds who can provide biospecimens or join related registries, especially families affected by childhood Ewing sarcoma.
✕Less likely to help
People seeking immediate clinical treatment or symptom relief should not expect direct benefits from this lab-focused project, since it focuses on basic biology rather than offering therapies.
What this research studies
From my perspective, scientists will use induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) made from donated blood or tissue from people with different ancestral backgrounds. They will introduce the EWS‑FLI1 fusion into those cells and measure gene activity and chromatin accessibility (including ATAC‑seq) to map the cancer program. By comparing cells from European, African, Asian, and Amerind ancestries they aim to find genetic regions that change how EWS‑FLI1 works. The goal is to explain ancestry-linked differences in Ewing sarcoma risk and point to directions for future tests or treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal why Ewing sarcoma affects some ancestral groups more and point to new targets for prevention or therapies for children with the disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab studies using iPSC models and EWS‑FLI1 have improved understanding of Ewing sarcoma biology, but using ancestry-diverse iPSC to explain risk differences is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Webber, Beau Richard — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Webber, Beau Richard
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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.