United States-based Shepherd Therapeutics has collaborated with Mayo Clinic to advance research in rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer that most often affects children, it was reported on Thursday.

Under the collaboration, both companies will use Shepherd Therapeutics' proprietary, next-generation precision-oncology platform, DELVE, to identify mechanisms for drug response and resistance in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) patients, and to identify new single drug and multi-drug combinations that have the potential to affect RMS care.

This RMS research project is being headed by the Mayo Clinic clinicians and scientists including Patricio Gargollo, MD, associate professor urology, paediatric urologist, Mayo Clinic, Candace Granberg, MD, assistant professor urology, paediatric urologist, Mayo Clinic and SHEPHERD Foundation Advisory Council member, and Fabrice Lucien-Matteoni, PhD, assistant professor of urology, Mayo Clinic.