Sarcomas are cancerous tumours of the connective tissues - including bones and muscles - that are more common in children. Up until now, there has been very little known about how sarcoma cells spread to other organs.

To better understand this mechanism Dr. Poul Sorensen and his team, including post-doctoral fellow Dr. Amal El- Naggar, studied a previously unrecognized pathway involving two proteins, YB-1 and HIF1α.

The BC Cancer Foundation donated $500,000 to fund this research, including funds from the Ride to Conquer Cancer and Team Finn, a team that was formed to raise funds in support of life-saving childhood cancer research.

“Dr. Sorensen’s landmark study provides real hope that dramatic improvements in the treatment of childhood sarcomas are around the corner,” said Erik Dierks, Vice President of Development at the BC Cancer Foundation. “This is a testament to the power of BC Cancer Foundation donors fuelling promising research that will impact families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis in the future.”

Read the full news release.