Due to a lack of funding for pediatric and young adult sarcoma cancer research, treatment options have remained unchanged for over 40 years. Our hope is to improve outcomes for young patients by supporting research and clinical trials focused on safer, more effective treatments.
When Carley learned that her cancer had returned, she desperately wanted a better treatment than more chemo and radiation. She asked her mother to find something, anything other than more chemo and radiation – immune compromising and debilitating treatment that would keep her from going to college and living a normal life. Luckily, Laura found an immunotherapy vaccine trial that helped her body fight the Ewing sarcoma for eight years and live a fulfilled college and post college life.
Unfortunately, the cancer returned in 2020, and Carley passed away at 27, fueling the drive more than ever, to find a curative and less toxic sarcoma treatment.
In a historic milestone, we have come together with four other family-led nonprofit organizations, each who has lost a child to Ewing sarcoma, to fund a three-year $1.5 million grant.
This is a first of its kind research collaboration.
Together, alongside the Sam Day Foundation, Alan B. Slifka Foundation, Shohet Family Fund for Ewing Sarcoma Research and the Faris Foundation, RCF is funding a three-year $1.5 million research collaboration dedicated to finding better treatments—and ultimately, a cure—for the most difficult Ewing sarcoma cases, those that have either spread or returned.
Our Research Advisory Team focuses on identifying promising research and new drug developments for pediatric sarcomas that are advancing toward FDA approval and clinical trials.
When selecting projects, we look for three key factors: (1) the treatment must be less toxic and tailored to the individual (2) it must target cancer cells while protecting healthy tissues and organs, and (3) it must boost the immune system to help the body fight the cancer.
Rutledge Cancer Foundation has joined forces with four other family led organizations, each founded by a mother who has lost a child to Ewing sarcoma in a first ever collaboration to fund a three-year $1.3 million Ewing Sarcoma grant.
Those foundations include: Sam Day Foundation, The Faris Foundation, The Shohet Family Fund for Ewing Sarcoma Research and Alan B. Slifka Foundation.
The ACES award will be overseen and administered by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation Strategic Research Partnership Program, but the grant is fully funded and driven by five family-led organizations.
The Advancing Cures for Ewing Sarcoma (ACES) grant was awarded to Brian Ladle, a pediatric oncologist and immunotherapy expert at Johns Hopkins University, who will be working, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, to create a vaccine using the body’s own immune system to treat the most difficult cases of Ewing sarcoma, those that have either spread or returned.
The goal is for the vaccine to train the immune system to only identify, attack, and remember Ewing sarcoma cells. While the concept for this vaccine is not new, Dr. Ladle and his team, in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, have identified more advanced and targeted methods for further isolating the unique markers found on Ewing tumors.
They are also testing next-generation immunotherapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors that help the immune system fight cancer more effectively.
PEEL-224 Trial (Phase 1b)
A novel nanoparticle chemotherapy combined with vincristine and temozolomide is being evaluated for AYA patients with Ewing sarcoma and DSRCT. Designed to reduce toxicity and time in the hospital, Phase 1 is nearing completion with Phase 2 to follow (60 patients over 12–24 month).
Tumor-Targeted IL-12 T Cell Therapy (Phase 1)
Modified T cells deliver IL-12 directly to tumors to boost immune response in advanced sarcomas. The trial is showing strong immune activation to fight the cancer cells. The refined protocol is now approved and open for enrollment, with RCF funding supporting immune monitoring and patient care. This trial advances more precise, personalized treatment approaches for hard to treat sarcomas.
ZAMBONE Trial – Zanzalintinib (Phase II)
A sponsor-approved Phase II trial for advanced or metastatic bone sarcomas has reopened after dosing refinements and receipt of the updated drug formulation—expanding options for patients with limited treatments available.
In addition to supporting current research projects and clinical trials, Rutledge Cancer Foundation (RCF) is focused on improving efficiencies in the research and biotech communities by bringing together researchers, medical institutions and pharmaceutical companies to work together and more effectively to bring novel therapies to patients more quickly.
We fund patient programs that address unmet emotional and physical needs.
We work as a catalyst to increase awareness and early detection.
We support research for less toxic, personalized cancer therapies.
