The Bardo Foundation is proud to support researchers whose work has the potential to improve outcomes for children and young people affected by osteosarcoma. Through our Travel Grant Programme, we help researchers attend leading scientific meetings where they can share their work, build collaborations and gain knowledge that accelerates progress in the fight against childhood bone cancer.

We were delighted to award a travel grant to Dr Darrell Green and his team at the University of East Anglia to attend the 8th EuSARC Annual Symposium, held in Oslo, Norway, from 4–6 June 2026.

Below is Dr Green's report, outlining the key themes from the conference, the value of attending, and how the knowledge and collaborations gained will directly support ongoing research into metastatic paediatric sarcomas.

Conference Report By Dr. Darrell Green, University of East Anglia 

The 8^th EuSARC Annual Symposium brought together leading international basic scientists, translational researchers, clinicians and industry partners working across the sarcoma field. Organised by Oslo University Hospital and the Oslo Cancer Cluster, the meeting focused on bridging fundamental sarcoma biology with therapeutic innovation, reflecting the overarching theme "From Basic Mechanisms to Innovative Therapies." The scientific programme encompassed immunotherapy, novel therapeutic targets, translational research, emerging experimental models and extracellular vesicle biology, alongside dedicated poster sessions and opportunities for interdisciplinary networking.

The meeting provided an excellent overview of current developments in sarcoma research. Several presentations highlighted advances in understanding tumour plasticity, the tumour microenvironment, immunotherapy, MYC biology, extracellular vesicles and innovative therapeutic approaches. Invited lectures from internationally recognised leaders, including Pablo Menendez, Poul Sorensen, Kamal Mustafa and Jorgen Wesche, provided valuable insight into emerging concepts in sarcoma biology and translational medicine, while discussions throughout the meeting reinforced the importance of integrating mechanistic research with clinical application.

Attendance at the symposium was particularly valuable for progressing our own research programme investigating the role of non-coding RNAs, transcriptional plasticity and RNA structure in metastatic paediatric sarcomas. Discussions surrounding tumour evolution, metastatic competence and MYC-directed therapies closely aligned with our ongoing work on the MYC-regulated long non-coding RNA MERT1. The meeting provided important opportunities for all in our research group to discuss our latest findings with international experts working in complementary areas of sarcoma biology, helping refine the biological interpretation of our data and informing the preparation of manuscripts currently being finalised for publication.

A major benefit of the meeting was the opportunity to strengthen existing collaborations in the international sarcoma community while establishing several new research links. Discussions with investigators from leading European centres explored opportunities for future collaborative studies, access to additional patient (and canine)-derived materials and potential multicentre validation of our findings.

The conference also highlighted the increasing importance of multidisciplinary approaches combining genomics, transcriptomics, metabolism, advanced model systems and clinical research. These themes closely complement the strategic direction of our laboratory and reinforce the value of integrating molecular biology with preclinical therapeutic development. The emphasis placed on translational science throughout the meeting provides further confidence that our current research programme is addressing important unanswered questions in the field.

Overall, attendance at the EuSARC Annual Symposium was highly beneficial. The meeting provided an excellent forum for scientific discussion, facilitated new collaborations, strengthened existing international networks and identified several opportunities for future joint grant applications and translational research initiatives. The knowledge gained will directly inform ongoing projects in the laboratory and support our long-term objective of developing novel therapeutic strategies for children and young people with metastatic bone sarcoma.