Targeting ETV6 in Ewing sarcoma
Official title: Function and Targeting of ETV6 in Ewing Sarcoma
Funded at Case Western Reserve University · NIH-11191597 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to create treatments that block the ETV6 protein to help children and young adults with Ewing sarcoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Case Western Reserve University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00CA273523-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11191597 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and young adults diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, particularly those whose tumors depend on ETV6, would be the best candidates for related therapies or future clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not rely on ETV6 or whose disease is driven by other mechanisms may not benefit from ETV6-targeted approaches.
What this research studies
This project will look at why ETV6 keeps Ewing sarcoma cells cancerous while many normal cells do not need it. The team will turn off or disrupt ETV6 in lab-grown tumor cells and use high-throughput genetic screens and single-cell RNA sequencing to see how the cancer cells change. They will study a specific ETV6 piece (the SAM domain) that helps the protein stick to itself and try to block that interaction as a way to stop the cancer. If the lab findings are promising, the goal is to move toward highly specific therapies that attack Ewing sarcoma cells with less harm to healthy tissue.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to highly specific treatments that stop Ewing sarcoma growth while reducing damage to normal tissues and improving outcomes for children and young adults.
How similar studies have gone: Genetic screening has shown ETV6 is a tumor-specific vulnerability in Ewing sarcoma, but using SAM-domain blockade as a therapy is a new and largely untested strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gao, Yuan — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Gao, Yuan
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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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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.
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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.