Targeting immune markers on Ewing sarcoma tumors
Official title: Attacking the Immunopeptidome of Ewing Sarcoma
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11159641 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to develop immune-based therapies that target proteins commonly found on Ewing sarcoma tumors in children and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | September 11, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $697,731 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA281865-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159641 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people (children or young adults) with Ewing sarcoma whose tumors express the target proteins and who are HLA-A2 positive, especially those with recurrent or metastatic disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not present the target peptides or who are not HLA-A2 positive are unlikely to benefit from these specific targeted approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers are mapping the peptides (the immunopeptidome) shown on Ewing sarcoma cells to find proteins the immune system can recognize, focusing on peptides from LIPI and IGF2BP1 that appear on HLA-A2 positive tumors. They will use laboratory techniques including mass spectrometry and immune assays to confirm which peptides are presented and can trigger T cells. The team plans to generate and test immune receptors or T cells that specifically bind those tumor peptides and to evaluate safety and tumor-killing activity in preclinical models. Successful preclinical work would support moving toward early clinical testing in patients with relapsed or hard-to-treat Ewing sarcoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new targeted immune therapies that more effectively attack Ewing sarcoma cells while reducing long-term toxic chemotherapy effects.
How similar studies have gone: Immune and adoptive cell therapies have shown strong results in some adult cancers, but applying peptide-targeted immunotherapies to low-mutation pediatric tumors like Ewing sarcoma is relatively new and not yet proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mackall, Crystal — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Mackall, Crystal
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.