Kevin DeHond and Matt Arcati of the Friends of T.J. Foundation recently presented a donation of $50,000 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). The donation will go to fund Professor Christopher Vakoc for continued rhabdomyosarcoma research.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare cancer that forms in soft tissue. It most often affects children. Vakoc’s lab studies cancers like rhabdomyosarcoma to pinpoint genetic weaknesses and find therapeutic targets.
“Through collaborative research projects funded by the Friends of T.J. Foundation, we have identified four novel therapeutic targets in rhabdomyosarcoma and in synovial sarcoma,” Vakoc said. “These new discoveries were all published within the past year, and represent an exciting milestone in this project. Our ongoing efforts will take these novel targets to the next stage of drug development with therapeutic intent.”
The Friends of T.J. Foundation is a Long Island organization founded by T.J. Arcati and his friends in 2009. Since 2014, the foundation has donated over $325,000 to CSHL as part of their mission to increase sarcoma research, improve treatment and find a cure.