Rice Bioengineer Wins Federal Grant For Ewing Sarcoma Research

Rice University bioengineer Dr. Julea Vlassakis has been awarded a $1.1 million federal grant to advance her research into Ewing sarcoma. The cancer is triggered when two genes mistakenly fuse together, creating an abnormal protein that allows tumor cells to multiply rapidly and spread throughout the body. Supported by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program, Dr. Vlassakis’s project aims to map exactly how these cancer cells vary and identify specific proteins that can be targeted with future drugs. Her ultimate goal is to create precise, molecule-targeted treatments that maximize patient survival rates while significantly reducing the harsh side effects of current therapies.

To uncover these cellular mechanisms, Dr. Vlassakis’s lab is introducing innovative biochemical and microscopy techniques. Because human DNA is incredibly long and tightly packed inside a cell, its 3D folding structure determines which genes are active. However, naturally occurring proteins often block scientists from getting a clear view. Dr. Vlassakis plans to use specialized electric fields to gently clear away these obstructing proteins, allowing her team to visually inspect the tiny, folded DNA structures at a microscopic scale. By perfecting these micro-scale tools to differentiate between various cell types within a single tumor, this research could pave the way for highly personalized cancer care, not only for Ewing sarcoma but for other forms of cancer as well.

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