Using tumor DNA to guide care for young adults with sarcomas
Official title: Validation and implementation of ctDNA as a clinically informative biomarkerin AYAs with sarcomas.
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11159471 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at tiny pieces of tumor DNA in the blood to help doctors make better treatment plans for adolescents and young adults with sarcomas.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $253,574 |
| NIH project number | 5K08CA290061-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159471 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This research is relevant for adolescents and young adults diagnosed with sarcomas, particularly those with Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without sarcomas or those outside the adolescent and young adult age range may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
The grant aims to improve care for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with sarcomas, a group for whom personalized treatments have been challenging to develop. Current treatments are often intense, leading to relapse for many and severe long-term side effects for survivors. This work focuses on using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), which are small fragments of tumor DNA found in the blood, as a way to understand the disease better. By studying ctDNA, doctors hope to identify patients at higher risk, track how well treatments are working, and detect if the cancer returns, ultimately leading to more effective and less harmful therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more personalized and effective treatments for young adults with sarcomas, potentially reducing side effects and improving survival.
How similar studies have gone: While ctDNA has shown promise in other cancers, its use as a validated biomarker for risk-stratified therapy in AYA sarcomas is still largely untested and represents a significant scientific gap.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shulman, David — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Shulman, David
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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.