Siriraj Foundation Fund for Advanced Sarcoma Research contributed 300,000 THB to create

SiSP Spatial Biology Knowledge Hub Center

Completed research projects

  • Utilization of Artificial Intelligence for Differentiating Intramuscular Lipoma and Well-Differentiated Liposarcoma Funding Amount: 144,526.10 THB

  • Retrospective Study on Myxoid Chondrosarcoma in Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients: Investigating the relationship between pathological characteristics, immunopathology, and cytogenetics.

    Funding Amount: 113,181.91 THB

  • Machine Learning-Based Classification of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features for Differentiating Schwannoma and Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor (MPNST) Funding Amount: 20,000 THB

  • Prognostic Analysis of Immunophenotypic Heterogeneity and Spatial Transcriptomic Patterns in Tumor-Associated Macrophage (TAM) Subsets in Primary, Local Recurrence, and Metastatic Thai UPS and MFS Funding Amount: 1,000,000 THB

Project Title: AI-Driven Diagnostics for Differentiating
Intramuscular Lipoma and Well-Differentiated Liposarcoma

This project, supported by the Fund for Advanced Sarcoma Research, aimed to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to differentiate between intramuscular (IM) lipomas and well-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLS) using advanced machine learning and radiomic analysis from MRI images. The work, with a budget of 144,526.10 THB, has led to four key publications:

1. Development of Predictive Models: Adaptive Lasso and elastic net methods were optimized for high-dimensional, sparse, and multicollinear data, resulting in highly accurate classification models for lipomatous tumors.

2. Radiomic Feature Stability: A study comparing 2D and 3D MRI radiomic features revealed that 3D segmentations provided higher reproducibility and sensitivity, improving machine learning predictions.

3. Tumor-to-Bone Distance as a Diagnostic Feature: Incorporating tumor-to-bone distance and radiomic features significantly improved the diagnostic accuracy of the models in distinguishing IM lipomas from WDLS, achieving comparable performance to musculoskeletal radiologists


4. Clinical Implications: Adaptive Elastic Net on High-Dimensional Sparse Data with Multicollinearity: Application to Lipomatous Tumor Classification.

This project highlights the transformative potential of AI in sarcoma diagnostics, providing clinicians with a precise and automated alternative to conventional methods.

Understanding Prognosis in Rare Cancer: Insights into Extraskeletal Myxoid 

Chondrosarcoma (EMC)

Extraskeletal Myxoid Chondrosarcoma (EMC) is a rare and unusual type of soft tissue cancer. Predicting how this cancer will progress in patients has been difficult because the usual factors, like clinical characteristics or common genetic markers, don’t give clear answers. This study aimed to identify new ways to predict outcomes for EMC patients more accurately.

What Did the Researchers Do?

 The researchers studied tissue samples from 22 EMC patients, but because some samples were too old or damaged, they focused on 12 high-quality samples. By analyzing the genetic activity in these tissues, they looked for differences in gene expression—essentially, which genes are more or less active in patients with better or worse outcomes. They also used advanced statistical models to find the most critical genes tied to survival.

Key Findings

Essential Genes Identified Three genes—H1FX, PXN, and TYMS—were linked to worse survival when highly active.

Risk Prediction Formula

The researchers developed a risk score based on these genes, separating patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. Patients in the high-risk group had worse outcomes, while those in the low-risk group fared better.

Immune System Clues

They discovered differences in immune cell activity between the groups. The high-risk group showed more CD4+ T cells, while the low-risk group had more B cells, suggesting the immune system might play a role in how the disease progresses.

Why Is This Important?

 These findings help us better understand the biological processes driving EMC and provide new ways to predict how patients might respond to the disease. By identifying specific genes and immune system activity linked to survival, this research opens the door to developing more personalized treatments for EMC patients.

In simpler terms, this study offers hope for better tools to guide doctors in treating EMC patients, helping them choose approaches tailored to each patient’s unique genetic and immune profile.

 The Siriraj Foundation's "Advanced Research for SARCOMA Fund" supports this project, which contributed 113,181.91 THB to enable this study. The fund is crucial in advancing sarcoma research and fostering new insights into rare cancers like EMC.

The research is currently under review in Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (CORR), marking an important step in sharing these findings with the broader scientific community.

Project Title: "Decoding Tumor-Immune Interactions in Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma (UPS) and Myxofibrosarcoma (MFS) for Precision Oncology"

This project focuses on advancing research in two challenging subtypes of soft tissue sarcomas (STS): undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) and myxofibrosarcoma (MFS). Both cancers present unique clinical challenges—UPS is highly metastatic, while MFS often recurs locally. Compounding these challenges is the absence of consistent genetic markers, making prognosis and treatment strategies particularly difficult.

The study investigates tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which are abundant in UPS and MFS but exhibit distinct roles in clinical progression. By classifying TAM phenotypes and analyzing their interactions with immune cells, the project seeks to uncover patterns that can serve as prognostic biomarkers. Additionally, the research aims to identify genetic and proteomic signatures linked to recurrence or metastasis, ultimately paving the way for precision treatments and more effective prognostic models.

This critical work is made possible through the generous support of the Siriraj Foundation's "Advanced Research for SARCOMA Fund (D004146)," which has contributed 1 million THB. The grant starts at November 1st, 2023 until October 31st 2025. The funding is enabling comprehensive molecular investigations that aim to uncover novel therapeutic strategies, improve prognostic outcomes, and enhance treatment effectiveness for patients with these aggressive cancers.

PhD Education Supported by the Fund

The "Advanced Research for SARCOMA Fund" not only drives innovative research but also supports the education of future scientists. Diana, a PhD student in the Department of Pharmacology at the Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, is a key contributor to this project. With a strong background in pharmacy and prior research on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), Diana is well-equipped to tackle critical questions in cancer biology.

Her PhD research focuses on UPS and MFS, exploring the phenotypes of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and their roles in recurrence and metastasis. The Siriraj Foundation’s generous funding has been pivotal in advancing Diana’s academic development and her work toward precision treatments for these aggressive sarcomas. She is deeply grateful for this opportunity to contribute to improved outcomes for STS patients.


Siriraj Spatial Biology Knowledge Hub Center

The SiSP Spatial Biology Knowledge Hub Center is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to advancing research in advanced cancers. This center features a state-of-the-art facility designed to unravel the complexities of the tumor microenvironment and cell-to-cell interactions. These efforts are critical to identifying the drivers of drug response heterogeneity and play a pivotal role in the development of novel predictive and prognostic biomarkers.


The knowledge generated from the center’s research holds great promise for transforming sarcoma care. By advancing our understanding of how sarcoma tumors interact with their surrounding environment, the center is paving the way for the development of targeted therapies, personalized treatment strategies, and improved diagnostic tools. This could lead to earlier detection, more effective treatments, and better outcomes for sarcoma patients worldwide. 


This transformative center is partially supported by the Siriraj Foundation Fund for Advanced Sarcoma Research, which contributed 300,000 THB. This generous fund, established by Poonpun Chaikul and her family, was created to spearhead innovative research and bring renewed hope to sarcoma patients. Through their support, the SiSP Spatial Biology Knowledge Hub Center is setting a new benchmark for precision cancer research, fostering breakthroughs that have the potential to significantly improve patient outcomes.

Image of the Siriraj Spatial Biology Knowledge Hub Center
during renovation on June 19, 2023

Image of the Siriraj Spatial Biology Knowledge Hub Center
after complete renovation  on April 25, 2024