Wei Lab Research
Identifying oncogenic fusions in pediatric sarcomas using iPSCs
Fusion transcript events contribute to one facet of tumor heterogeneity in pediatric solid tumors, with subsets of them driving pediatric sarcomas and resulting in poor prognosis. Well-characterized examples include EWSR1-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma, PAX3/PAX7-FOXO1 in rhabdomyosarcoma, and SS18-SSX in synovial sarcoma. Additional fusion transcripts have been reported in advanced sarcoma cases yet remain poorly understood. Therefore, our overarching goal is to identify novel fusion oncogenes to provide the foundation to develop novel targeted therapies in these pediatric tumors. We will use human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to identify novel fusion oncogenes in pediatric sarcomas, with the goal of elucidating their molecular function in driving malignancy. Next, we aim to understand these fusion molecules and then devise novel targeted therapies to improve the outcomes of pediatric cancer patients who have very dismal prognosis associated with these fusions.
