Celebrating Four New St. Baldrick’s Foundation Research Grants
January is usually a time to relax after holiday celebrations – but we aren’t done celebrating yet. Because of the support of St. Baldrick’s Hero Funds and donors like you, we can celebrate four new research grants this month.
These grants were made in response to a specific Request For Applications in disease areas in which St. Baldrick’s typically sees a low number of applications.
Dr. Mitchell Cairo will work to develop immunotherapeutic agents to enhance the functions of Natural Killer cells to kill Burkitt lymphoma. Natural Killer cells are type of immune cell that can kill cancer cells. If successful this would offer a potentially more effective and less toxic treatment option, ultimately leading to improved survival. This grant is supported by the Jack’s Pack – We Still Have His Back Hero Fund.
Dr. Saba Ghassemi is working to develop CAR T cells faster and with increased strength to fight pediatric glioblastoma (GBM). She will combine these CAR T cells with a metabolic strategy to overcome the metabolic nature of tumor environment. This will lead to superior immunotherapy treatments against pediatric GBM. This grant is supported by the Be Brooks Brave Fund Hero Fund.
Ewing sarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer that occurs in children and young adults, is caused by an abnormal protein (EWS-FLI1) that stops cells from maturing into normal tissues. Dr. Joseph Ludwig is using powerful gene editing tools to systematically turn the EWS-FLI1 protein up or down and then measure whether such changes allow cancer cells to behave more normally. The information gained from this research is expected to lead to new anti-cancer treatments for adolescents and young adults battling Ewing sarcoma. This grant is supported by the Shohet Family Fund for Ewing Sarcoma Research Hero Fund.
Dr. Kimberly Stegmaier and colleagues have used a technology called CRISPR to identify new therapeutic targets for Ewing sarcoma. They prioritized a class of targets which are expressed in immature but not mature tissues. These proteins are often abnormally re-expressed in cancers such as Ewing sarcoma. Thus, drugs targeting these proteins would be expected to have minimal toxicity. Dr. Stegmaier will validate these therapeutic targets in Ewing sarcoma. This project has exciting translational potential for patients with Ewing sarcoma. This grant is supported by the The Ben Brandenburg Fund for Ewing Sarcoma Research Hero Fund.
As we look ahead into 2023 and beyond, this research gives kids with cancer hope. Keep a look out for our next grants announcement later this Spring. To learn more about the Hero Fund program check out this blog.
Donate now and help support research into better treatments for kids with cancer.
Read more on the St. Baldrick’s blog:
Research Outcomes: Your Dollars at Work
Read on to learn about some of the research that – thanks to you – is changing the world of childhood cancer care.
Research Outcomes: Incredible Impact and Hope
Formerly known as the St. Baldrick’s – Stand Up to Cancer Pediatric Cancer Dream Team, this team is now the St. Baldrick’s EPICC Team (Empowering Pediatric Immunotherapies for Childhood Cancer).
Your generosity makes a difference for children and young adults with cancer. Read on to see a few recent examples of the incredible impact you have on pediatric cancer research.
Research Outcomes: Novel Discoveries
Scientific research continues at a great pace thanks to your tireless support. Pediatric cancer researchers proceed to make new discoveries and provide hope for children with cancer. See five examples of the many research outcomes you’ve made possible below:
Research Outcomes: Progress from Bench to Bedside
With your help researchers continue to answer questions, seek out cures, and reduce long-term effects of treatment. Four exciting research outcomes you made possible are detailed below:
Dr. Alex Huang: Head Shaver, Cancer Fighter, Knight Commander
For the 11th consecutive year, Dr. Alex Huang will be shaving his head for kids’ cancer research. A pediatric oncologist and professor at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the Angie Fowler AYA Cancer Institute at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, he’s no stranger to the fight against childhood cancers.
In fact, as an accomplished cancer fighter who’s dedicated time – and hair! – to helping raise money for childhood cancer research, he’s the very definition of a “Rockstar Shavee”.
Dr. Alex Huang, winner of a St. Baldrick’s Innovation Award, will shave his head for an 11th time this year.
Meet the St. Baldrick’s 2019 Ambassadors!
Each year, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation picks five kids to serve as Ambassadors. In this role, they represent the thousands of kids affected by childhood cancers and remind us of the importance of supporting childhood cancer research.
Take any group of kids and they’ll all have their own way of talking, their own opinions on books, movies, and video games, their own favorite foods.
But there is one thing the St. Baldrick’s 2019 Ambassadors have in common: childhood cancers. Beyond that, they share the support of loving families and a desire to inspire others to raise money for childhood cancer research.
Our 2019 Ambassadors, from left to right: Aiden, Arianna, Sullivan, Gabby, and Brooke.
St. Baldrick’s 2018 Ambassadors: Thank You!
With 2018 winding down, it’s time to thank this year’s St. Baldrick’s Ambassadors for their help raising funds and awareness for pediatric cancer research. This group of five kids and their families inspired us with their unique stories of courage and their refusal to give up hope.
We’ll be welcoming a new group of Ambassadors in the new year. For now, let’s check in on the 2018 team to see how they’re doing and what they enjoyed about the Ambassador experience.
Our 2018 Ambassadors, from left: Brooks, Kellan, Maya, Zach, and Julia.
How Your Donations Helped Zach Beat Childhood Cancer
Most six-year-old boys spend their time thinking about toys, candy and getting to school on time. Few need to worry about their health at such a young age, and even fewer face the uncertain future following a cancer diagnosis.
Fighting cancer was Zach’s world when he was six. In 2007, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, or ALL. Over the next four years, Zach underwent intense and physically demanding treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.
Childhood Cancer Research You Helped Fund in 2018
With the holiday season upon us and another year drawing to a close, it’s a great time to reflect on some of the major research accomplishments of doctors and scientists whose work on childhood cancers benefited from the support of St. Baldrick’s donors like you.
There’s much to be thankful for. All things considered, 2018 was a remarkably successful year for childhood cancer research, with much of that success spurred on by grants funded by St. Baldrick’s. Of course, none of this would have been possible without our generous donors.
Dr. Kohanbash’s cutting-edge research on ependymomas is supported by a Hero Fund in memory of Henry Cermak, who passed away in 2008 after a long, 2-year fight that included many surgeries, chemo regimens, and 93 rounds of radiation.
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