The EHE Foundation is proud to announce $335,000 in funding through the 2026 EHE Foundation Research Grants Program to support two innovative research projects in epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE).
Selected for their scientific merit, potential impact, and clinical relevance, these projects address two important priorities in EHE research: biomarker development and new therapeutic approaches. Together, they represent high-risk, high-reward investments in work that could help improve how EHE is monitored and treated.
Funding Research That Moves the Field Forward
Because EHE is an ultra-rare cancer, research progress depends on targeted investments in promising ideas. The Foundation’s research grants program is designed to support bold, carefully selected projects that address urgent unmet needs in the field.
This year’s awards reflect that strategy.
Grant Award #1
Biomarker Discovery in Epthelioid Hemangioendothelioma
John Lamar, PhD | Albany Medical College, USA
Sandro Pasquali, MD | Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Italy
Award Amount: $155,000 over two years
This project aims to identify EHE-specific biomarkers in the blood that could help monitor disease progression and response to treatment using a non-invasive approach.
The research team will use advanced technology to label and capture proteins released by EHE cells into the bloodstream. These proteins will then be compared across preclinical models of EHE and blood samples from EHE patients to determine whether they can reliably track disease activity and treatment response.
If successful, this work could lead to a much-needed tool for monitoring EHE without invasive procedures and could help clinicians and patients better understand what is happening over time.
Why It Matters
Reliable biomarkers are a major unmet need in EHE. A blood-based tool to monitor disease progression or treatment response could improve both clinical care and research.
Grant Award #2
Immunopeptidome-Guided Target Discovery for T-Cell Based Immunotherapy in Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma
Jens Bauer, PhD | University and University Hospital Tubingen, Germany
Award Amount: $170,000 over two years
This project will explore a novel immunotherapy approach for EHE by identifying abnormal peptide targets created by EHE fusion proteins and presented by human leukocyte antigens for recognition by the immune system.
Those peptide targets would then be used to support the development of a T-cell based immunotherapy strategy specifically for EHE.
This has not yet been meaningfully explored in EHE, but the research team is well-positioned to pursue it, given prior success with another fusion-driven tumor. If successful, this work could open the door to a new, targeted treatment approach for patients.
Why It Matters
This is, to our knowledge, the first significant investment in immunotherapy research for EHE. It is a highly novel project with the potential to create an entirely new path forward in treatment development.
A Thoughtful, Impact-Driven Approach to Funding
Both projects include clear milestones and interim review points after year one. This allows the EHE Foundation to invest in bold ideas while maintaining strong stewardship of donor-supported research funding.
For the biomarker project, continued funding into year two will depend on whether the research identifies proteins that meaningfully change in abundance in response to treatment. For the immunotherapy project, continued support will depend on whether fusion-derived HLA ligands are successfully identified. These checkpoints help ensure that funded work is making meaningful progress.
Advancing Hope Through Research
Research is how progress happens in EHE. By funding innovative projects in areas of urgent need, the EHE Foundation is helping to move the field forward and build momentum toward better tools, treatments, and improved outcomes for everyone affected by EHE.
We are deeply grateful to the researchers, expert reviewers, donors, and community members who make this work possible.
To learn more about the EHE Foundation’s research, read our 2024 Impact Report.
To support future research, give today.