What drives aggressive fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma and its spread
Official title: Oncogenic Drivers of Rhabdomyosarcoma Cell State, Cancer Stem Cells and Metastasis
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11312633 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at the cancer stem cells that make fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma grow and spread so new treatments can stop them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $598,671 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269213-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11312633 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and young adults with fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma, especially those with relapsed, refractory, or metastatic disease, would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other cancer types, fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma, or non-malignant conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers aim to identify the specific tumor cells (cancer stem cells) that drive growth, treatment resistance, and metastasis in fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma. They will compare these cancer cells to normal early muscle-mesenchyme cells and map the genes and pathways that keep them stem-like or make them migratory. Using laboratory models (cell lines and animal models) and human tumor samples, they will test ways to push those cells into non-dividing, non-moving states or to kill them outright. The work is led at Massachusetts General Hospital and is focused on approaches that could help relapsed or metastatic cases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that stop relapsed or metastatic fusion-negative RMS by forcing cancer stem cells to stop growing or by eliminating them.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies targeting cancer stem cells and differentiation pathways have shown promise, but translating those findings into effective treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Langenau, David Michael — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Langenau, David Michael
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeting how RMS cells fail to mature to slow or stop pediatric muscle cancer spread
A project to understand why a pediatric muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma spreads, and to test ideas that could slow or stop it by helping cancer cells mature properly.
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Understanding the causes of Rhabdomyosarcoma and its aggressive behavior
This study is looking at a tough type of cancer called fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma to find out how certain cancer cells keep growing and spreading even when treated, with the goal of creating better treatments to help patients live longer and healthier lives.
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Targeting the PAX3-FOXO1 protein in a deadly childhood cancer
This study is looking at a specific protein that helps a tough childhood cancer called alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, with the goal of finding new ways to treat kids who have this illness.
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Lymph node metastasis and immune tolerance in head and neck cancer
A study in people with head and neck cancer looks at how cancer spread to lymph nodes may shape the immune system and help tumors grow.
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Genetically engineered mouse model to study and treat high-risk pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma
A research project aims to create mouse models that mimic high-risk pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma and test therapies that target the NOTCH1 pathway to slow or stop tumor growth.
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Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
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.