$150K to Dr Christopher Kuo at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles for Ewing sarcoma research

The Role of Collagen I in Ewing Sarcoma’s Tumor Microenvironment

Christopher Kuo, M.D.

Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles

$150K

Ewing sarcoma has remained one of the most difficult childhood cancers to treat, particularly when the disease spreads or returns after therapy. While immunotherapy has transformed treatment for many cancers, it has shown little success in Ewing sarcoma. Researchers believe one reason is the tumor's ability to create an environment that suppresses the body's immune response and allows cancer cells to evade detection.

This project will investigate how Ewing sarcoma uses a protein called collagen I to communicate with immune cells known as macrophages. Early findings suggest that collagen I may help "reprogram" macrophages into a state that protects the tumor rather than fighting it. Using innovative laboratory models and a unique zebrafish model that allows researchers to watch cancer and immune cells interact in real time, the team will study how this process develops and whether blocking it can restore anti-tumor immunity. The findings could identify entirely new treatment targets for Ewing sarcoma and help pave the way for more effective, less toxic therapies for children and young adults facing this disease.

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