Europe Expansion, Latest News

Synovial Sarcoma Foundation Welcomes Lucia and Roberto Belluco to the Board of Directors

April 29, 2026 Comments Off on Synovial Sarcoma Foundation Welcomes Lucia and Roberto Belluco to the Board of Directors
A collage with two photos: on the left, three people pose and smile outdoors by the ocean and rocky coastline; on the right, a person stands in front of a colorful wall display titled "A Journey of the Heart.

[Philadelphia, PA] The Synovial Sarcoma Foundation (SSF) is honored to welcome Lucia Manzinello Belluco and Roberto Belluco to its Board of Directors as the organization’s first European board members. Their appointment marks an important step in expanding the foundation’s international reach and strengthening collaboration across the global synovial sarcoma community.

Lucia brings more than 20 years of experience working in the healthcare sector in Italy as a biomedical laboratory technician specializing in histopathology. Throughout her career, she has supported diagnostic and surgical pathology teams, managing high-volume tissue preparation, complex staining protocols, immunohistochemistry procedures, and laboratory quality control essential to accurate diagnosis.

Lucia and Roberto’s connection to synovial sarcoma is deeply personal. Their daughter Teresa Belluco was diagnosed at age 13, leading the family to travel from Italy to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston so she could participate in an early-phase T-cell immunotherapy clinical trial. During this time, Lucia also helped connect and support families navigating rare cancer treatment across the United States and Italy.

A collage of four photos shows a young boy in the hospital with family, the family posing by the coast, the boy and two men smiling in a hospital room, and the boy standing by a colorful “Journey of the Heart” sign.

After Teresa’s passing in June 2024, the Belluco family honored her legacy by supporting research that could change the future for other patients. In 2024, they donated $173,000 to advance synovial sarcoma research, supporting initiatives aimed at improving surgical precision, expanding clinical research, and accelerating the development of new therapies.

As members of the board, Lucia and Roberto will focus on growing the foundation’s network across Italy and Europe. Their efforts will support the expansion of Synovial Sarcoma Registry and Biorepository, and the International Synovial Sarcoma Tumor Board by connecting leading clinicians, research centers, and patients and families affected by synovial sarcoma.

“We are incredibly grateful to welcome Lucia and Roberto to the SSF Board. Their courage, generosity, and dedication to honoring Teresa’s legacy embody the spirit of this community. Their leadership will help expand our international network and accelerate progress in synovial sarcoma research.” said Chas Spence, Founder and Executive Director of the Synovial Sarcoma Foundation. 

The Synovial Sarcoma Foundation invites the community to join us in welcoming Lucia and Roberto Belluco. You can learn more by visiting our Board of Directors page.

For more information about the Synovial Sarcoma Foundation, please visit SynovialSarcoma.org.

Related posts

A person wearing protective goggles, face mask, and gloves examines two small glass vials containing yellow and orange liquids in a laboratory setting.
Rare Cancer, Development

Synovial Sarcoma Research and Rare Cancer Drug Development: Challenges and Progress

April 27, 2026 Comments Off on Synovial Sarcoma Research and Rare Cancer Drug Development: Challenges and Progress

Developing treatments for rare cancers like synovial sarcoma remains one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine—but recent progress shows what’s possible. One major milestone came with the FDA approval of Tecelra, the first engineered T-cell therapy approved for a solid tumor in the U.S., including synovial sarcoma. Why Rare Cancers Face Unique Challenges Synovial […]

A scientist wearing safety goggles and gloves examines samples through a microscope in a bright laboratory, with other researchers working in the background.
Education, Healthcare

New Research Identifies 4 Subtypes of Synovial Sarcoma, Opening Doors for Personalized Treatment

April 23, 2026 Comments Off on New Research Identifies 4 Subtypes of Synovial Sarcoma, Opening Doors for Personalized Treatment

Synovial sarcoma is a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer, but new research is helping us better understand how it behaves—and how it may be treated in the future. A recent study using advanced single-cell RNA sequencing has identified four distinct subtypes of synovial sarcoma, each with unique biological features and potential treatment pathways. Why […]

A scientist in a lab coat and gloves uses a pipette to add liquid to a test tube. Several test tubes filled with blue liquid are in a rack beside a microscope on a bright laboratory desk.
Development, Education

What a Breakthrough in Ewing Sarcoma Means for Synovial Sarcoma

April 21, 2026 Comments Off on What a Breakthrough in Ewing Sarcoma Means for Synovial Sarcoma

A new Phase 1/2 trial in Ewing sarcoma, just profiled in Clinical Trial Vanguard and published in Nature Medicine, delivered the kind of result the synovial sarcoma community should be watching closely. The trial paired trabectedin with low-dose irinotecan to target the EWS::FLI1 fusion, the oncogenic driver of Ewing sarcoma. For more than a decade, […]