About This Project

Sarcomas are life-threatening, often untreatable cancers that disproportionately affect dogs and children. We found a set of genes that we think are involved in sarcoma aggressiveness. Now, we want to test whether these genes can be manipulated to halt sarcoma cells from dividing. With your help, we can start to understand how sarcomas grow. If we understand how they grow, we can create more effective treatments for both dogs and humans.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Sarcomas are highly aggressive cancers with a poor prognosis and few effective treatment options. These cancers are highly metastatic, which means they can spread rapidly and take over the body. Despite their aggressive nature, sarcomas remain woefully understudied, and the basic mechanisms by which sarcomas metastasize have yet to be elucidated. We have identified a set of genes that we think will stop sarcomas from being so metastatic. These genes are linked to stemness. Stemness often enables cancer cells to become resistant to chemotherapy. We hope that inhibiting these stemness genes will lead to more effective sarcoma treatments.

What is the significance of this project?

Sarcomas are highly aggressive cancers, with five-year overall survival of approximately 65%. Although rare in humans, sarcomas still account for approximately 15,000 cases and over 5,000 deaths each year in the US. Sarcomas also account for 15% of cancers in dogs. Patients whose sarcomas have spread are left with very few treatment options, and doctors rely heavily on surgery and non-specific chemotherapeutics, neither of which is effective in treating metastatic disease. We want to identify the genes responsible for both dog and human sarcomas. By understanding these genes, we can treat both humans and their lovable pets.

What are the goals of the project?

We have identified a set of genes that we think make sarcoma cells more like stem cells. These genes contribute to sarcoma aggressiveness by providing a pool of stem-like cells that can give rise to more tumor cells, even after surgery and chemotherapy. Cancer cells that become stem-like are often more resistant to radiation or chemotherapy. These cells also contribute to the spreading of sarcomas in a process known as metastasis. We want to use molecular biology techniques to inhibit these genes and test whether their inhibition will stop the growth of sarcoma cells. We will do this in both dog and human sarcoma cells. Validating the importance of these genes in promoting cancer stem cells will allow us to one day develop better treatments for this awful cancer.