Funding Research
1 Million 4 Anna Foundation has proudly supported UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas since 2013. UTSW, one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty includes many distinguished members, including six who have been awarded Nobel Prizes since 1985. The faculty of more than 2,700 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments.
Funding from 1 Million 4 Anna Foundation helped form a formal Ewing Sarcoma Research Program led by Dr. James Amatruda. The team, formed of UTSW specialists from clinical, translational, and basic research fields, work together with a collaborative approach aimed at driving important advancements in the biology and treatment of Ewing sarcoma. This collaborative, multi-focal attack, using the complementary expertise of different research groups, is committed to discovering new treatments for Ewing sarcoma that are more effective and less toxic than current therapies. While the disease’s genetic origin is known, understanding how the disease progresses and identifying ways to fight the tumors early on, at their genetic origins, is one goal of this team. The possibilities for crossover and cooperation between the different labs is one of the most exciting aspects of the UTSW initiative.
UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas
Ewing Sarcoma Research Team
Meet the five primary researchers, affectionately known as the “Fab 5”

James Amatruda, MD, PhD
Determining the cell of origin of Ewing sarcoma in a zebrafish genetic model

Ralph DeBerardinis, MD, PhD
Exploiting tumor metabolic vulnerabilities for new treatments of Ewing sarcoma

Ralf Kittler, PhD
Determining the role of the transcription factors Sox2 and Olig2 in Ewing sarcoma

David McFadden, MD, PhD
Identify new drug-like chemicals that slow the growth of Ewing sarcoma cells using genetic methods

Angelique Whitehurst, PhD
Tumor-activated testes proteins as therapeutic targets in Ewing sarcoma. Identifying molecular targets present only in cancer cells
Additional Collaborative Projects by the
UTSW Ewing Sarcoma Research Team
From the McFadden Lab
A systematic study of EWSR1-FLI1 controlled genes that promote cell division
From the Kittler Lab
Therapeutic targeting of EWS-FLI1 turnover in Ewing sarcoma
From the Whitehurst, Amatruda, & Westover Labs
Development of drugs against TAK1 protein, a component that leads to growth of Ewing sarcoma cells
From the Skapek & Amatruda Labs
Real-time identification of actionable mutations in Ewing sarcoma
From the Wasti & DeBerardinis Labs
Examination of the metabolic pathways of Ewing sarcoma tumors to determine what fuels their aggressive growth
Additional Research Grants funded by
1 Million 4 Anna Foundation
Solid Tumor Bio Repository
2017 & 2018
Aflac Cancer Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Robert Schnepp, MD, PhD
Specimens are used by investigators to develop new assays, test new drugs, and further study disease, with a goal of improving clinical outcomes for patients
Pilot Study of Abscopal Radiotherapy for Bone Sarcomas
2015
Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
Pete Anderson, MD, PhD
Research Partners

2017 – present
Avon Lake, Ohio
The Samuels Family, in honor of their daughter, Piper, partners with 1 Million 4 Anna to fund Ewing sarcoma research

2016 – 2018
Port Byron, Illinois
Provided $65K in funding for the Ewing Sarcoma Research Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center