Congratulations to Jessica Daley, MD, for her recent publications in Cancer Research Communications and Clinical Cancer Research. Daley is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in our Division of Hematology-Oncology, where she also completed her residency and fellowship training. 
The first publication, “SARC028 Samples Reveal an Interplay between TGF-β, IFN Signaling, and Low HLA Class I Expression as Contributors to Ewing Sarcoma Checkpoint Blockade Resistance,” in Clinical Cancer Research focuses on interrogating Ewing sarcoma tumor microenvironment and the related efficacy of current therapies. Daley and her co-authors concluded that following an analysis of paired Ewing sarcoma tumor samples reveal an immunosuppressive triad, the disruption of which indicates a potential new pathway of pursuit to improve antitumor immunity. This important work highlights the unique insight to be gained from paired Ewing sarcoma tumor biopsy analysis.
The second publication, titled, “TGFβ inhibition during radiation therapy enhances immune cell infiltration and decreases metastases in Ewing sarcoma,” was published in Cancer Research Communications. This research investigates the inhibition of an immunosuppressive cytokine (TGFβ) in limited clinical trials for patients with relapsed Ewing Sarcoma (EwS). Ultimately, following the use of a humanized mouse model, Daley and co-authors demonstrate that, in combination with radiation therapy, TGFβ inhibition both increases EwS immune cell infiltration and decreases lung metastatic burden in vivo. This important data not only demonstrates the significance of immunocompetent models to address immune-biologic preclinical questions in EwS, but also the potential for TGFβ inhibition during radiation therapy as a promising strategy to enhance anti-tumor immune response for metastatic EwS.
Both papers included various other researchers from our Department of Pediatrics and the University of Pittsburgh, including Elina Mukherjee, David Ferraro, Shanthi Bhaskae, Anthony Green, Ernest Meyer, Melissa Burgess, MD, Tullia Bruno, PhD, and Anthony Cillo, PhD.
Congratulations to Dr. Daley and all her co-authors on these two important publications advancing the efficacy of EwS therapies.
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