Our Mission

We are focused on rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) and other pediatric sarcomas, rare cancers primarily affecting children and young adults, which are often fatal. We fund research into understanding, treating, and ultimately curing these diseases.

HOW WE HELP

Our primary focus is to fund research with leading medical institutions and research universities with expertise in pediatric sarcomas, and in particular RMS, which James had battled.

Donations to the Fund are charitable and directed to research hospitals and post-secondary institutions, rather than to individuals. We work with these organizations to find the most effective uses of the financial resources.

OUR INITIATIVES

We are currently supporting two projects led by Dr. Rebecca Gladdy at The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

The first project is focused on genetic profiling of RMS in young adults (over 18 years of age) to determine how the disease differs at a molecular level from its profile in younger people. This investigation is being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Jack Shern at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland. The goal is to understand for the first time whether adult and child versions of RMS are in fact different diseases. This would significantly change clinical treatment of the disease and, if the genetic differences prove to be drug-sensitive, could lead directly to a cure for RMS.

The second project is focused on immunotherapy for RMS to determine whether the combination of (i) magnetic-resonance-guided, high-intensity-focused ultrasound and (ii) heat sensitive chemotherapy stimulates the body's immune response. This study is being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Cynthia Guidos at the University of Toronto. To date, sarcomas have been notoriously hard to treat with immunotherapy. This research, in addition to potentially becoming an effective treatment in and of itself, could lead to the development of new and more effective immunotherapies for RMS patients.