Investigating how DNA damage affects immune responses in Ewing sarcoma
Official title: DNA Damage and Immunogenicity in Ewing Sarcoma
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11045047 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how damage to DNA in Ewing sarcoma cells can trigger the immune system, with the hope of finding new ways to treat this childhood cancer, especially for kids whose cancer comes back.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $152,995 |
| NIH project number | 5K08CA252178-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11045047 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children and adolescents diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, particularly those with relapsed cases.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other types of cancer or those whose Ewing sarcoma is not relapsed may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding the relationship between DNA damage and the immune response in Ewing sarcoma, a type of childhood cancer. The project aims to explore how DNA damage can activate immune pathways in tumor cells, which may lead to new treatment strategies. The research will involve laboratory experiments using cell cultures, animal models, and analyses of human specimens to gather comprehensive data. By enhancing knowledge in tumor immunology and bioinformatics, the research seeks to develop innovative approaches to combat relapsed Ewing sarcoma, which currently has a poor prognosis.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new immune-based therapies that improve outcomes for children with Ewing sarcoma.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in using immune-based therapies for pediatric cancers, indicating potential success for this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bailey, Kelly — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Bailey, Kelly
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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AI-powered prognostic model for Ewing sarcoma using digital pathology
Researchers are building an AI tool to predict survival for children and adults with Ewing sarcoma using digitized pathology slides.
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RAPID: A patient-centered, fast-tracked drug trial platform for young people with relapsed Ewing sarcoma and DSRCT
A patient-friendly, open-label phase 2 platform trial tests promising drug combinations for teens and young adults whose Ewing sarcoma or DSRCT has come back or not responded to treatment.
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TGFβ brakes immune evasion and metastasis in Ewing sarcoma during radiation
A physician-scientist will study whether blocking TGFβ during radiation can help CAR T cells fight Ewing sarcoma and improve patient outcomes.
-
Function and Targeting of ETV6 in Ewing Sarcoma
A scientist at Case Western Reserve University is studying a specific protein, ETV6, that helps a rare bone cancer called Ewing sarcoma, with the goal of finding targeted therapies that could spare healthy cells.
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Targeting immune markers in Ewing Sarcoma to guide safer, more effective therapies
A funded project at Stanford aims to use immune markers on Ewing Sarcoma to develop targeted immunotherapies that work in children and adults with this cancer.
-
Ewing sarcoma: how DNA repair weaknesses affect risk and treatment
A clinician-researcher team at Dana-Farber is studying how DNA damage repair weaknesses help drive Ewing sarcoma in kids and teens, with the goal of better predicting risk and guiding therapy.
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.