Jonah's ETMR Cell Line Supports Cancer Research

Dr. Jeff Greenfield's lab at Weill Cornell thanks Jonah for his remarkable gift.

"By donating Jonah’s tumor tissue for research, the Amor family gave cancer scientists an incredible gift. “We could take different points and actually see what was changing in the tumor in response to treatments, in response to radiation over time, including both brain disease and then also metastatic disease in the lung, which is incredibly rare,” Greenfield explained. “We were really fortunate to pair with this amazing kid and his parents who continued to come back and continued to put their faith in us.” Greenfield’s lab used Jonah’s tumor tissue to establish the first patient-derived cell line for ETMR and then created an animal model to study the disease further. Greenfield partnered with Craig Thomas, PhD, at the National Institutes for Health, to screen Jonah’s cells against hundreds of drugs, revealing several promising candidates for unique compounds and drug combinations that could be tested in an animal model."

https://childrenscancer.org/how-one-boys-cells-could-power-new-treatments-for-etmr/

Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes

Cellular hierarchies of embryonal tumors with multilayered rosettes are shaped by oncogenic microRNAs and receptor–ligand interactions.

May 2025. With generous support from The Jonah Finn Foundation, Dr. Mariella Filbin’s laboratory—together with the labs of Dr. Marcel Kool and Dr. Volker Hovestadt—has published a landmark study in Nature Cancer.

This groundbreaking research maps the cellular landscape of embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) using single-cell and multiplexed spatial imaging across 11 patient tumor samples, two patient-derived preclinical models, and one case involving a 5-year-old boy with recurrent and metastatic ETMR.

The study reveals that the microRNA cluster C19MC drives stem-like cellular states and tumor progression. These insights led to the identification of ETMR-specific vulnerabilities and demonstrated that targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and Notch signaling pathways holds promise as a therapeutic strategy.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43018-025-00964-9#Ack1

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Care for rare collaborative: ARMOR Project

CARE FOR RARE Collaborative Awards: $600,000 to Advance Research in Aggressive Childhood Brain Tumors

The Jonah Finn Foundation is announcing $50,000 in funding for rare childhood brain cancers in part of the Care For Rare collaborative effort. A $200,000 grant has been awarded to support research on Embryonal Tumor with Multilayered Rosettes (ETMR).

The recipient is:

Johannes Gojo, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, for

“Advanced Resistance Mapping and Overcoming Relapse of ETMR (ARMOR)”

This grant, totaling $200,000, aims to advance discoveries to improve outcomes in this rare and aggressive pediatric brain tumor that affects very young children.

About ETMR

ETMR almost exclusively affects children under four years of age and currently has a dismal 5-year survival rate of just 10–30%, despite intensive therapies. Driven by unique molecular features, these tumors are often therapy-resistant or relapse quickly, and very little is known about why current treatments fail.

About The CARE FOR RARE Collaborative

The CARE FOR RARE Collaborative is a bold effort to address the lack of research and funding in these tumor types with the goal to improve survival in these children and includes the following charities:

The Jonah Finn Foundation

The Bibi Fund

Gold Ribbon Kids Cancer Foundation

Solving Kids’ Cancer

Hope4ATRT Foundation

Ty Louis Campbell Foundation

"Finding a cure for ETMR is not just a mission for The Jonah Finn Foundation; it's a deeply personal journey fueled by our commitment to transform the landscape of pediatric brain cancer research. We believe that by catalyzing groundbreaking preclinical studies and fostering collaboration among scientists worldwide, we can ignite hope for countless families facing the challenges of rare brain cancers. Together, we are dedicated to eradicating ETMR and ensuring that no child has to endure the hardships of this disease."

- Suzy Amor, Vice President of the Jonah Finn Foundation

Members of Our Team Run Marathons in Support of Dana-Farber

School Fundraisers

Crazy Sock Day!

Anna Hodous hosts Crazy Sock Day at Pierce Elementary School in Arlington, MA. 100% of funds raised are donated to JFF- 2019
Ottoson Middle School

Anna Hodous hosts a competitive week-long fundraising event at the Ottoson Middle School in Arlington, MA. 100% of funds raised are donated to JFF. - 2022
Walkathon at The Res

Anna Hodous and the Arlington High School Fundraising Fighters host a Walkathon at The Res in Arlington, MA. 100% of funds raised are donated to JFF. - 2024
The Great Parkway Pig Raise

Shelly O'Brien and her son AJ host "The Great Parkway Pig Raise" at The Parkway School in Stamford, CT. 100% of funds raised are donated to JFF. - 2024