Radiation-boosted treatment ideas for high-risk Ewing sarcoma with STAG2 loss
Official title: Radiation synthetic combinations in high-risk Ewing sarcoma
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11366203 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Mayo Clinic team is studying how combining radiation with new treatments may better help kids and teens with aggressive Ewing sarcoma that has lost STAG2.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | May 20, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $659,028 |
| NIH project number | 1R37CA302677-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11366203 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pediatric and young adult patients with high-risk or STAG2-deficient Ewing sarcoma, including those with metastatic or relapsed disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not show STAG2 loss or who cannot receive radiation therapy may not benefit from these specific combinations.
What this research studies
This project looks at how DNA damage, chromatin accessibility, and the immune response interact during radiation therapy for Ewing sarcoma with STAG2 loss. The team has developed a humanized mouse model to study tumor immune responses and test combinations that could epigenetically reprogram tumors and boost inflammation to improve radiation effectiveness. The goal is to identify multi-modality treatment strategies that work with radiation to control aggressive tumors, including upfront metastatic and relapsed cases. Results could pave the way for new clinical approaches for pediatric patients with this high-risk disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could lead to more effective radiation-based treatments for high-risk Ewing sarcoma in young patients.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data in models suggest STAG2 loss makes tumors more vulnerable to radiation with certain epigenetic and immune-modulating strategies.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bailey, Kelly — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Bailey, Kelly
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.