Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma, a very rare soft tissue cancer. I have undergone radiation, knee surgery, two lung surgeries, chemotherapy, a clinical trial and targeted therapy. Surgeries and treatments were hard to go through, especially during Covid, but surfing has kept me sane during these times and has helped me develop a personal philosophy that gets me through life’s difficulties. I am sharing my experiences here to help you understand cancer better and to show how some people go through cancer.

I also have a goal to raise over $500,000 to support further research focused specifically on the treatment and cure for synovial sarcoma. I am asking you to help push the research for better treatment for synovial sarcoma. You can do this by donating to the Following Seth to Cure Synovial Sarcoma Fund at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  Donations are made directly to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia through The Spence Family Synovial Sarcoma Fund.

Under the leadership of Dr. Theodore Laetsch this fundraising will support two goals:

1.     Test new immunotherapeutic strategies (Haldar lab): This project will examine the important role macrophages and B-cells (immune cells) play in synovial sarcoma by targeting these cells alone and in combination with immunotherapeutic approaches to see how this impacts tumor progression.

This project will also look at the role of retinoic acid (this prevents the immune system from recognizing and eliminating tumor cells) and test a recently developed small-molecule inhibitor of RALHD2 (an overly-expressed enzyme in synovial sarcoma that produces retinoic acid) in the mouse model.

Both of these methods have the potential to impact tumor progression, and if successful, could provide a new therapeutic option for synovial sarcoma.

2.     Test new tumor targeted therapeutic strategies (Grohar lab): This project will focus on direct therapeutic targeting of the SYT-SSX, an oncogene that drives synovial sarcoma. We have a novel compound called AIT-102 that is entering the clinic in the next 18 months for related tumors. We believe that this compound should block the tumor-promoting functions of SYT-SSX. Therefore, we propose studying the impact of this drug on synovial sarcoma cells directly in a petri dish as well as in the novel mouse model developed by Dr. Haldar. If we are correct and the drug does indeed block the SYT-SSX oncogene, this drug will be highly active in synovial sarcoma because it would target the exact gene the tumor depends on for survival. In addition, it is likely that the drug would work well in combination with therapies identified in project 1.

The funds will accelerate the research process and could serve as a catalyst for additional funding to further accelerate these important efforts.

The research will be led by:

·       Dr. Malay Haldar, a cancer immunology expert with deep knowledge of creating genetically engineered mouse models to test targeted therapeutics - The Haldar lab, in unpublished work, has developed a novel synovial sarcoma mouse model that quickly grows aggressive tumors. This is the only lab in the country with this new mouse model that is well-positioned for testing novel therapeutics.  

·       Dr. Patrick Grohar, an internationally recognized leader in sarcoma research who is collaborating and leading efforts for this new, novel drug

·       Dr. Ted Laestch, a national leader in pediatric developmental therapeutics and very rare malignant tumors - As the chair of the Rare Tumors Committee for the Children’s Oncology Group at CHOP, Dr. Theodore Laetsch, is working to advance the study of these tumors and define new ways to treat patients. Dr. Laetsch is hopeful that we can advance the care of patients with these tumors by using cancer genomics to identify targetable mutations as well as studying immunotherapy, which has revolutionized the care of many of these cancers in adult patients.

For tax planning purposes, multiple year donations can be arranged. To make an annual pledge, please send an email to: Liz Barone, Director of Development, Cancer Center at baroneeb@chop.edu

100% of donations go directly to The Spence Family Synovial Sarcoma Fund and is used by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to pay for the research center. This website is paid for and managed by Seth Quinn and his family. We do not receive any donations to maintain this website.