SMARCB1 Hope supports and funds medical research through the Ella Toulouse Foundation for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers, under the aegis of Fondation ARC. Fondation ARC is France’s leading private cancer research funding organization. Our association with Fondation ARC brings greater visibility and funding potential to SMARCB1 cancers, in addition to top-notch international scientific committees for project selection and oversight.
While retaining a primary focus on solid tumors and the crucial role of epigenetic mechanisms – such as SMARCB1 – in their development and growth, the Ella Toulouse Foundation, in association with Fondation ARC, supports adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers more broadly. We believe that solely supporting research into SMARCB1 cancers is inherently limited: there are too few patients, and the few scientists and oncologists engaged in the field are scattered across the world in silos.
We believe in the power of cross-fertilization and the sharing of different know-hows, specializations and experiences. This is how we will come to understand SMARCB1 cancers and the unique biological and clinical characteristics of other AYA cancers, most often not a result of environmental elements and with survival rates significantly lagging behind those seen in pediatric and older patients.