$145,000 to Seattle Children's Hospital for Ewing Sarcoma

Aggressive treatments we now use for Ewing sarcoma are incredibly harsh on patients, and increasing the intensity of these treatments isn’t an option due to severe side effects. Yet many kids with Ewing are at high risk for disease spread, or metastasis. This brings us to a crucial need: finding a new, less toxic way to prevent the spread of this cancer.

Dr. Lawlor’s lab is testing a new drug which targets a specific biological pathway known as the Wnt pathway. This pathway is crucial for the growth of many cancers, making it a high priority in research. Although it was previously thought not to play a role in Ewing sarcoma, recent research, including studies from Dr. Lawlor’s lab, has shown that the Wnt pathway actually promotes the spread of Ewing tumors. There is early data that suggests this new drug will prevent or delay the spread of Ewing sarcoma tumors, which is the greatest fear for kids with high-risk disease. Metastasis makes this disease much more difficult to control. 

This study will allow Dr Lawlor’s lab to further investigate the effectiveness of this new drug and collect the data needed to design a clinical trial.

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