BostonGene and Little Warrior Foundation Collaborate to Bring Novel Liquid Biopsy Solutions into Clinical Practice

It’s rare to hear a Ewing’s Family use the word cured. Rather the joyous phrase that everyone is white-knuckled praying for is “No Evidence of Disease.” For sarcomas, the only way to look for this “Evidence” is imaging, including X-Rays, MRIs, PET Scans. When a warrior is declared NED, it means that there’s no active tumors showing up on these scans.

But too many warriors achieve “NED” status only to relapse 3 months later when their quarterly scans show tumors. And we have to think, “Was it ever truly gone? Or was it just not big enough to be seen on imaging?”

Any “True Crime” fan can tell you, eye-witness evidence has its merits but DNA evidence is GOLD. It’s no different for sarcomas.

Last month, Little Warrior Foundation partnered with BostonGene to develop a test – ctDNA and ctRNA specifically – to bring that gold standard of evidence to sarcoma patients. Cancer cells shed their unique DNA into the bloodstream. As tumors grow, the ctDNA load increases.

If successful, (and we’re confident it will!) this would be the first sarcoma-specific ctDNA/ctRNA test. It could be a game changer for sarcoma patients of all ages.

• At the end of frontline treatment, doctors can determine if there is still tumor activity that is too small to be detected on imaging, and adjust or extend treatment accordingly.

• Relapses can be detected earlier, before a tumor is substantial enough to be seen by standard imaging.

• It could reduce the reliance on radiation-heavy imaging. A single PET scan has the equivalent of 8 years of average background radiation exposure. If there’s no ctDNA detected, a PET scan may not be necessary.

• For treatments and trials, doctors and researchers can use ctDNA levels to assess treatment response. By looking directionally at the ctDNA levels, they can make critical adjustments quicker.

We’re proud to partner with BostonGene on this. They understand the urgency and impact to bring this project to life. You can read more about this partnership in the media release below. Thank you to all our supporters for trusting us with your donations to make this program possible. We’ll keep you posted on updates.

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MEDIA RELEASE:

WALTHAM, Mass –March 22, 2023 – BostonGene today announced a collaboration with Little Warrior Foundation to drive the discovery, validation, and implementation of novel liquid biopsy solutions into sarcoma clinical practice.

Little Warrior Foundation was founded in 2020 with a simple mission to fund and find a lasting cure for childhood cancer, specifically focusing on Ewing Sarcoma. Funds the foundation raises are granted to researchers and institutions developing high-potential therapies and novel solutions for pediatric applications.

Sarcomas are malignant tumors originating in connective and supportive tissue and are incredibly diverse at the histological and molecular levels. Thus, in sarcomas, clinical decision-making often relies on the molecular features of each unique tumor. Further, sarcomas are fusion-rich, with various fusions as known drivers of myriad sarcomas, highlighting the importance of RNA-based analysis in sarcomas.  Broad liquid biopsy panels have limited applicability for individual cancer types due to the unique molecular landscape of each cancer type; therefore, Little Warrior Foundation has partnered with BostonGene to develop sarcoma-specific cfDNA and cfRNA liquid biopsy assays to increase the sensitivity and accuracy of detecting sarcoma-related molecular alterations and fusions. In this collaboration, BostonGene will develop sarcoma-specific cfDNA and cfRNA liquid biopsy assays, aiming at implementing them into clinical practice for both pediatric and adult sarcomas.

“Our partnership with BostonGene enables us to accelerate research and development efforts by identifying novel solutions for patients with Ewing Sarcoma and related sarcomas,” said Piero Spada, President and Co-Founder, Little Warrior Foundation. “We expect this collaboration to provide physicians with the necessary tools to monitor for relapse and reoccurrence in a more efficient manner, ultimately impacting integral clinical decisions for patients.”

“We share a commitment with Little Warrior Foundation to develop and implement breakthrough solutions for patients with myriad sarcomas,” said Nathan Fowler, MD, Chief Medical Officer at BostonGene. “BostonGene’s advanced sequencing and analytics will propel the development of more effective treatment strategies, ultimately positively impacting pediatric and adult patients.”