News & Events
News
28 May 2025
Launching the “Sarcoma 0–40” Initiative
Mesenchymal tumors present major clinical and research challenges, with limited therapeutic progress in recent years
A new RTICC multidisciplinary international collaboration to tackle Sarcoma unmet clinical challenges.
On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the Bruce and Ruth Rappaport Cancer Research Center (RTICC) launched a kickoff event at the Kedem Hotel for its international research initiative, “Sarcoma 0–40.”
A New Frontier in Sarcoma Research
Led by RTICC, the “Sarcoma 0–40” initiative focuses on mesenchymal tumors—cancers originating in bone, muscle, cartilage, and fat cells. These tumors present major clinical and research challenges, with limited therapeutic progress in recent years. RTICC aims to foster advanced research on these rare malignancies, with a special focus on childhood and young adults (age range of 0-40).
Toward this end, a multidisciplinary group of 28 RTICC members met at the kickoff event, comprising experts in pediatric and adolescent oncology, orthopedic oncology, sarcoma biology, chemistry, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, and physics. The initiative is led by Prof. Peleg Hasson of the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Dr. Oz Mordechai of the Pediatric Hemato-Oncology Department at Rambam Health Care Campus.
Joining the RTICC in this effort are two leading American cancer centers: the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, (CCCC) and the Department of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine.
A Vision for significant Impact
“Sarcoma 0–40” is envisioned as a platform for deep scientific collaboration across RTICC and its international partners. The initiative will support joint research grants, scientific symposia, and shared academic opportunities. It is poised to accelerate discoveries that bridge basic science and clinical care, ultimately improving the lives of sarcoma patients worldwide.
This initiative is also expected to expand the academic and professional opportunities for the RTICC community and further establish the RTICC as a leading global center for cancer research.
Scientific Exchange and Future Directions
The meeting brought together physician-scientists and principal investigators from diverse Technion faculties—including medicine, biology, biomedical engineering, Physics and biotechnology—as well as affiliated hospitals: Rambam, Hillel Yaffe, and HaEmek medical centers. A special guest of the meeting was Prof. Seth Corey who represented CCCC.
The program featured a series of expert talks, including:
- Prof. Peleg Hasson (Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion) – Developmental biology of the musculoskeletal system.
- Dr. Oz Mordechai (Rambam Health Care Campus) – Unmet clinical challenges in sarcoma.
- Prof. Alona Zer (Rambam Health Care Campus)– Kaposi sarcoma: the virus/sarcoma/host triad.
- Prof. Jacob Bickels (Hillel Yafe Medical Center)– Bacterial injections as a treatment strategy for soft tissue sarcomas.
- Prof. Seth Corey (Case Comprehensive Cancer Center) – Sarcoma research at CCCC and the use of zebrafish models.
Participants briefly presented their research interests, laying the foundation for future collaborations.
In a session of round table discussion, the group explored several key research directions:
- Mesenchymal and Sarcoma biology, tumor microenvironment, and immune–neural system interactions.
- Early diagnosis and novel classification tools for mesenchymal tumors.
- Drug development and targeted delivery mechanisms.
- Use of computational tools, AI, and machine learning to analyze clinical data and improve outcomes.
