$150,000 to UT Southwestern for Rhabdomyosarcoma research

Dr. Lin Xu at UT Southwestern is heading the research project titled "Omics-Based Strategy for Precision Targeting of Fusion-Positive Rhabdomyosarcoma". Fusion Positive Rhabdomyosarcoma (FP-RMS) is a very aggressive type of cancer that affects kids and is made up of cells similar to early muscle cells. Despite advances in understanding its genetic makeup, there are still no effective treatments specifically targeting this cancer. Only 25% of kids with relapsed FP-RMS will survive three years past their diagnosis.

Dr. Xu’s team has developed a powerful tool to identify key genes involved in FP-RMS using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Early studies have demonstrated this method is highly accurate in identifying cancer genes.  

This study will allow Dr. Xu’s team to analyze 74 FR-RMS cases to find potential treatment targets. Identified targets will then be tested and prioritized using advanced genetic screening techniques and lab experiments. They will then test the effectiveness of combining two genetic targets in FP-RMS cells as a novel therapeutic strategy to improve the treatment of FP-RMS patients.

This is the first project the Sam Day Foundation has funded utilizing cutting-edge AI Technology.

‍