Grant Awards
Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation funds ground-breaking research for leiomyosarcoma
When Leiomyosarcoma Support & Direct Research Foundation (LMSDR) began in 2006, there was very little research on leiomyosarcoma. Since then, we have advocated for and funded vital studies, thanks to our donors. But we can’t stop until we have a cure!
Help us raise funds for next year’s research projects.
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PAST AWARDS
2025
$100,000 awarded to Tatiana Omelchenko PhD at Rockefeller University. Dr. Omelchenko is using advanced methods to study patient samples and identify the neoantigens unique to LMS which will help in vaccine design and combination treatments with actionable FDA approved drugs she discovered earlier.
$25,000, LMSDR’s support will directly fund the activities conducted by Catalyst Awardees Drs. Everett Moding and Maggie Zhou, specifically the preclinical validations of this innovative clinical trial concept, “A phase I/II study of Pexidartinib with Pembrolizumab for locally advanced or metastatic leiomyosarcoma”, which therapeutically targets leiomyosarcoma cells both by a direct attack on the leiomyosarcoma cells and by harnessing the immune system to maximize the therapeutic response.
$47,500 awarded to Joanna Przybyl, PhD at McGill University for her definitive work, “Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring for long-term surveillance of leiomyosarcoma. patients.” We believe that incorporating ctDNA testing into long-term surveillance of LMS patients will improve their clinical outcome through an earlier detection of disease relapse.
2024
$25,000 awarded to Magda Matusiak, PhD at Stanford University Medical Center, Department of Pathology. Dr. Matusiak’s study, “Distribution of Novel Human Macrophage Subsets in Leiomyosarcoma,” will build on previous macrophage work in Dr. Matt van de Rijn’s lab. Dr. Matusiak obtained her PhD studying macrophage biology at Gent University.
$50,000 was awarded to Dr. H. Phillip Koeffler, Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Koeffler’s study is entitled, “Targetable Addictions Associaled with Epigenetic Reprogramming of Leiomyosarcoma.”
Epigenetic dysregulation emerges as an important layer of cancer biology and a promising area for developing novel therapeutic strategies. Our study aims to build a comprehensive compendium of clinically relevant active chromatin domains in LMS (especially ULMS) and discover targetable dependency on epigenetic reprogramming.
2023
$50,000 awarded to John A. Martignetti, MD, PhD at Mount Sinai, Department of Genetic and Genomic Sciences. This project is titled, Starting from an N of 1: Integrating genomic, analytic and functional analyses to establish a real-time treatment discovery and validation platform. “Starting from this N=1 approach, we have now obtained longitudinally collected tumor tissue and generated multiple patient-derived ULMS cell lines (PDCL) and mouse models from a single ULMS patient. Thus, we propose using genomic, analytic/bioinformatic and cell biology approaches to integrate a multi-omic view of these established cell lines and tumors to functionally identify and validate novel therapeutic targets for ULMS patients. The integration of translation from an N=1 to ULMS in general will be achieved by using TCGA- and other publicly available ULMS genomic datasets to triage those pathways and treatments which are shared and / or most consistent with being most frequently affected in ULMS. We fully expect that successful completion of this project will provide: (1) a set of novel, pre-clinically validated therapies and pathways ready for further downstream evaluation, and; (2) an analytic and functional characterization platform that can be extended to other ULMS patients for therapeutic identification and validation.”
$50,000 awarded to Dr. Joanna Przbyl, McGill University Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Medicine, for her work on liquid biopsy for uterine leiomyosarcoma. This award is in partnership with the Sarcoma Alliance for Research through Collaboration’s (SARC), Catalyst program, which identifies, recruits, and fosters promising investigators from diverse scientific backgrounds to become translational researchers in sarcoma. Without the support of both the CDA and the Catalyst Project, uncommon cancers would struggle to attract the talent to make scientific and clinical progress.
$10,000 LMSDR Sponsors Strategic Awareness in Sarcoma Science (SASS) Conference
In September 2023, 115 sarcoma researchers met in partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to collaborate on defining new research projects for sarcomas. Dr. Jonathan Fletcher organized this conference with four driving principals: deliverables, structure, continuity (between conferences) and interactivity. SASS also encourages basic science and early career development among new sarcoma investigators. LMSDR contributed $10,000 for this ground breaking event.
2022
$100,000 awarded to Dr. William Tseng, surgical sarcoma oncologist at the City of Hope in Duarte, California. His research project is titled, Development of an Immune Biomarker for Metastatic Disease in Retroperitoneal Leiomyosarcoma.
In this project, Dr. Tseng aims to identify differences in the tumor immune microenvironment that can be used to as a clinical biomarker of metastatic risk in an RP LMS patient with localized disease. This biomarker would aid clinical-decision-making to determine if chemotherapy is warranted, in addition to surgery.
$50,000 awarded to Dr. H. Phillip Koeffler, Mark Goodson Chair in Oncology Research at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Koeffler’s study “Novel Treatments of Leiomyosarcoma,” will involve using his validated LMS cell lines to check the ability of best FOXM1 inhibitor either ± PROTACs, ETC-168 or Doxorubicin to retard growth of leiomyosarcoma injected subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice.
2021
$100,000 awarded to Dr. Sujana Movva (Sloan Kettering) for her study, “Identifying Biomarkers Predictive of Benefit to Rucaparib and Nivolumab in Patients with Advanced Leiomyosarcoma.” This study will analyze who responds the PARP inhibitor, Rucaparib.
$100.000 awarded to Dr. Joanna Przybyl (Stanford) for her 2-year project, “Metabolic Reprogramming in Leiomyosarcoma.” This study will identify drugs that will block sources of energy in cancer cells of three genetic subgroups of LMS.
$50,000, The Debbie Foley Grant was award to Dr. Paul Huang (Royal Marsden in the UK) and Dr. Joanna Przbyl (Stanford) for their collaborative study, “Biological pathways and immune landscape associated with Gem/Tax therapy resistance and response in LMS.” They will identify biomarkes for patients likely to respond to Gem/Tax.
2020
$150,000 to SARC – Sarcoma Alliance for Research Collaboration, for their second year work on looking at new targets for LMS, including the role of TP53, pten, Rb1, p13K and mTOR.
$100,000 awarded to Dr. van de Rijn (Stanford) for his continued work to distinguish uLMS from benign fibroids by a blood test. “Using Circulating Tumor DNA as a Measure of Tumor Load and Response to Therapy.”
2019
$100,000 to SARC – Sarcoma Alliance for Research Collaboration. A 2-year project looking at new targets for LMS, including the role of TP53, pten, p13K and mTOR.
$47,000 awarded to Mathew Hemming MD PhD (Dana Farber) for his second year study of, “Exploring Leiomyosarcoma Functional Genomics to Identify Disease Specific Vulnerabilities.”
2018
$42,000 awarded to Mathew Hemming MD PhD (Dana Farber) A 2-year project, “Exploring Leiomyosarcoma Functional Genomics to Identify Disease Specific Vulnerabilities.”
$140,000 awarded to Dr. van de Rijn (Stanford) for his continued work to distinguish uLMS from benign fibroids by a blood test. “Using Circulating Tumor DNA as a Measure of Tumor Load and Response to Therapy.”
$74,000 awarded to Tatiana Omelchenko PhD (Sloan Kettering) for her study, “Identification of a Novel Treatment Strategy for Uterine Leiomyosarcoma in Genotype Defined Patient Population.” She will generate a genetically engineered mouse model based on genetic alterations found in uLMS patients and to model tumor growth inhibition. The $74,000 grant for this project was gifted by the Kelly Kimball family.
$10,000 sponsorship given to Kyle Floyd for his documentary, “Kicking the Hornets Nest.” This two-hour movie documents the history of uterine morcellation and the consequences for women with leiomyosarcoma.
2017
$2,000 awarded to Gregory Cote MD, PhD at Massachusetts General Hospital for his project, ART Inhibition in ALT Positive Leiomyosarcoma and Osteosarcoma. Funded by the Lissy McMahon Memorial fund.
$40,000 awarded to Dr. Matt van de Rijn for his project titled: ROR2 and a Potential Target in Leiomyosarcoma.
$90,000 awarded to Dr. Matt van de Rijn (Stanford) for his continued work to distinguish uLMS from benign fibroids by a blood test. “Using Circulating Tumor DNA as a Measure of Tumor Load and Response to Therapy.”
2016
$125,000 awarded to the international collaborative of Drs. Fletcher (Dana Farber), van de Rijn (Stanford), Chibon (France’s Bergonie Institute), Bauer (West German Cancer Center) and Langenau (Massachusetts General Hospital.) Their study, “Maximizing Therapeutic Response in Leiomyosarcoma” was co-funded collaboratively with the Liddy Shriver Foundation and National Leiomyosarcoma Foundation. In this project they will sequence the genome of LMS tumors, investigate the P13K-AKT-mTor pathway, and test therapies with new cell lines, mice and zebra fish.
2015
$110,000 awarded to Dr. Matt van de Rijn (Stanford) for his continued work to distinguish uLMS from benign fibroids by a blood test. “Using Circulating Tumor DNA as a Measure of Tumor Load and Response to Therapy.”
2014
$110,000 awarded to Dr. Matt van de Rijn (Stanford) for his continued work to distinguish uLMS from benign fibroids by a blood test. “Using Circulating Tumor DNA as a Measure of Tumor Load and Response to Therapy.” In addition, he also plans to study:
1.- Clinically Relevant Molecular Subtypes in Leiomyosarcoma.
2.- A Role for Versican in the Development of Leiomyosarcoma.
3.- Progressive Loss of Myogenic Differentiation in Leiomyosarcoma Has Prognostic Value.
2013
$50,000 awarded along with $100,000 from the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative to Dr. Matt van de Rijn (Stanford) for several LMS projects:
• The Study of Three Therapeutic Targets in Leiomyosarcoma
• Engineered SIRPa Variants as Immunotherapeutic Adjuvants to Anticancer Antibodies.
• Comparative Gene Expression Profiling of Benign and Malignant Lesions Reveals Candidate Therapeutic Compounds for Leiomyosarcoma
2011
$50,000 awarded jointly by LMSDR and the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative to Dr. Matt van de Rijn (Stanford) for several LMS projects:
• ROR2 is a Novel Prognostic Biomarker and a Potential Therapeutic Target in Leiomyosarcoma.
• The Effect of Mir-17-92 Dysregulation in Leiomyosarcoma-Genesis.
• Antibody Therapy Targeting the CD47 Protein is Effective in a Model of Aggressive Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma
• Flipping the Script on Macrophages in Leiomyosarcoma
• CFS1 Expression in Nongynological Leiomyosarcoma is Associated with Increased Tumor Angiogenesis
2010
$25,000 awarded to Dr. Sandra Orsulic (Cedars Sinai) for her second year study, “A Role for BRCA1 in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma.”
2009
$50,000 awarded to Dr. van de Rijn (Stanford) for his ongoing investigations, “Prognostic Significance of Macrophage Infiltration in Leiomyosarcomas.”
$25,000 awarded to Dr. Sandra Orsulic (Cedars Sinai) for her 2-year study, “A Role for BRCA1 in Uterine Leiomyosarcoma.”
2008
$50,000 awarded to Drs. van de Rijn (Stanford), Fletcher (Dana Farber) and Coreless of (Washington State University) for a collaborative research project, “Discovery of Molecular Subtypes in Leiomyosarcoma through Integrated Molecular Profiling.”
2007
$25,000 awarded to Dr. Eva Hernando (New York University School of Medicine) for her study, “Let-7 repression leads to HMGA2 overexpression in uterine leiomyosarcoma.”
2006
$40,000 awarded to Dr. van de Rijn (Stanford) to perform a microarray analysis of LMS from the paraffin tumor blocks donated by LMS patients worldwide to the LMS Tissue Bank at Stanford. Most of the above studies used these paraffin blocks.
