Grants Search Results

The causes of relapse of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) remain unknown and there are limited therapies for such children. Dr. Licht characterized a mutation of a gene present in 10-20% of children with relapsed ALL. A mutation in this gene that may cause relapse by reprograming cells to grow more rapidly and become chemotherapy-resistant. Using a new technique Dr. Licht's Do It for Dominic St. Baldrick’s Research Grant aims to determine how the mutation increases growth and causes drug resistance in order to devise new therapies for relapsed ALL.

The grant is named for the Do It for Dominic Hero Fund created in memory of Dominic Cairo. His family and friends continue to raise funds and support St. Baldrick’s to find cures for childhood cancers so no child ever has to go through what Dominic had to endure.

Rhabdomyosarcoma is an aggressive childhood cancer that often arises in muscle. Because of the poor survival, researchers are searching for genes underlying this cancer, with the hope of blocking them. A research scientist who studies how normal muscle forms found that a gene called MEST helps in defining muscle cell precursor identity. Dr. Linardic's lab had noticed that in rhabdomyosarcoma, MEST was highly expressed, suggesting that maybe MEST tricks cells into constantly growing. This project focuses on learning how MEST contributes to rhabdomyosarcoma, and how to block it.

Childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the second most common leukemia in children, but causes the majority of leukemia related deaths. Current therapies do not adequately treat the disease and more than half of all children diagnosed with AML eventually relapse and die of their disease. Dr. Meshinchi recently performed a comprehensive genetic analysis of pediatric AML and identified mutations in CSF3R gene, the first pediatric-specific mutation in AML. This JJ's Angels St. Baldrick's Research Grant aims to study the function of this mutation to learn how it might be used as a therapeutic target.

This grant is named for the JJ's Angels Hero Fund created in memory of Julianna LaMonica to honor her joyful spirit and strength even in the midst of her battle with cancer. Her story continues to inspire so many to support the cause.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Moldovan was awarded new grants in 2018 and 2019 to fund additional years of this Scholar grant. Dr. Moldovan has identified a novel DNA damage repair mechanism that promotes the spread of leukemia cells. This research aims to investigate how leukemia cells fight DNA damage and potential therapies to target this mechanism.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Petrosiute was awarded new grants in 2018 and 2019 to fund additional years of this Scholar grant. Despite successes in treating children with certain types of cancers, outcome remains poor for children with advanced solid tumors, including brain tumors and sarcomas. Dr. Petrosiute has investigated a protein called Cdk5 in medulloblastoma, finding that tumors become vulnerable to immune cell killing when Cdk5 function is disrupted, and this disruption, which can be achieved by drugs currently being tested in Phase I clinical trials, was correlated with a diminished production of immune-protective molecule called PD-L1 on tumor cells. This research aims to identify the molecular mechanisms of Cdk5 in order to enhance immunotherapy treatments.

A portion of this grant was named for The Rebecca Allison Meyer Fund for Pediatric Cancer Research, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund created to honor the memory of the joyful and spunky little girl who courageously battled brain cancer. Rebecca's legacy lives on in the funding of promising glioblastoma research.

Awarded at the Case Western Reserve University, and transferred to Vilnius University.

Hepatoblastoma is the most common childhood liver cancer. Dr. Prochwnik is using models to investigate two mutant genes, SIRT3 and SIRT4, which normally work to balance metabolism and energy stores, that are commonly found in hepatoblastoma. This work aims to identify novel targets for cancer therapies in hepatoblastoma and other cancers.

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a fatal childhood myeloid malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Relapse remains the main cause of treatment failure, most likely due to the persistence of leukemic stem cells, a small population of self-renewing precursor cells that are responsible for long-term maintenance of leukemia growth and drug resistance. This research tests for the therapeutic effects of Stat5 inhibition by pimozide, a clinically used antipsychotic drug, in a subtype of JMML caused by mutations in Ptpn11.

The immune system not only fights infection, but can also fight cancer cells. Recently, doctors have been able to use patients' own immune cells to help treat their cancer. Sometimes, cancer cells can hide from the immune cells. Dr. Richman, the Ben's Green Drakkoman St. Baldrick’s Fellow, aims to learn how cancer cells hide from immune cells, and how to make these cancer-killing immune cells more specific to tumor cells to avoid harming the patient's normal tissues.

This grant is named for the Ben's Green Drakkoman Fund, created to honor the memory of Ben Stowell who battled osteosarcoma with an inspiring determination to live life fully. The fund is named after a super hero Ben created named the Green Drakkoman who defeats his enemy, the Evil Alien.

Burkitt lymphoma is an aggressive cancer that occurs in children. Treatment requires intensive chemotherapy, which can have significant side effects. Targeted therapies, which kill cancer cells but spare healthy cells, are urgently needed. As the Jack’s Pack – We Still Have His Back St. Baldrick’s Scholar, Dr. Roth is investigating a promising new drug that kills Burkitt lymphoma by attacking a protein that the tumor needs to survive. This drug may treat Burkitt lymphoma with less side effects than chemotherapy.

This grant is named in memory of Jack Klein who bravely battled Burkitts Lymphoma. Love for this special boy inspired family and friends to rally around him as “Jack’s Pack” with their cry, “We Got Jack’s Back”.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia is an aggressive form of childhood cancer for which the therapy causes many side effects and the survival is 60%. Dr. Sakamoto's lab has found that a protein known as CREB is overproduced in AML cells and is associated with a worse prognosis. This research aims to study the protein RSK, which increases CREB activity in AML cells, and find ways to block RSK as a new approach to treat AML.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Shah was awarded a new grant in 2017 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. One challenge in caring for solid tumor patients is monitoring treatment response, as doctors currently use radiology studies that are unable to detect residual disease. Circulating tumor DNA is released by cancer cells into the patient’s bloodstream and carries tumor-specific mutations. Circulating tumor DNA could be used as a marker to measure tumor burden by a simple blood draw. Researchers recently developed a tool to measure circulating tumor DNA in lung cancer patients. Dr. Shah aims to design a similar tool for three common pediatric tumors.

This additional grant is made with generous support from the Dorian J. Murray Foundation which was created in honor and in memory of Dorian 'Dstrong' Murray who passed away from Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma. The Foundation is committed to provide financial support to families of children fighting cancer, raise awareness and educate people and fund new and breakthrough research.

A portion of Dr. Shah's fellow award was named for the Sweet Caroline Fund, a Hero Fund created to honor the memory of Caroline Richards who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. This fund pays tribute to her giving spirit and her compassion for others by supporting osteosarcoma research to help kids with cancer.

Dr. Sondel has been using an immune-based therapy to treat children with cancer, and is seeing that it is clearly helping some patients. He recently found the presence of an antibody seems to predict which patients will do best with this treatment. This research aims to understand what this antibody is recognizing, and then to determine how it is helping the treatment to work better.

Ewing sarcoma is a type of cancer that mostly affects children and your adults. This cancer is caused by a type of mutation in DNA called a translocation. Dr. Sweet-Cordero's Team Clarkie St. Baldrick's Research Grant aims to understand how this translocation, called EWS-FLI1, causes cancer in order to find better therapies for children with this disease.

This grant is named for the Team Clarkie Fund created to honor Clarkie Carroll and funds Ewing’s sarcoma research while stimulating greater awareness and inspiring others to believe pediatric cancer research can and will lead to a cure.

Medulloblastoma is the most aggressive brain tumor in children. Finding new therapies depends upon a better understanding of the biological mechanisms of medulloblastoma formation. As the recipient of the Hannah's Heroes St. Baldrick's Research Grant, Dr. Van Meir is evaluating the role of a tumor suppressor in medulloblastoma tumorigenesis. Understanding the role of this suppressor could lead to novel therapeutic prospects for children with medulloblastoma.

This grant is named for the Hannah's Heroes Hero Fund created in honor of Hannah Meeson and pays tribute to her fight by raising awareness and funding for all childhood cancers.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Vasquez was awarded a new grant in 2017 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. Dr. Vasquez, the Tap Cancer Out St. Baldrick's Fellow, is investigating the human immune system's response to pediatric brain tumors and how it can be manipulated in order to develop new treatments. Immune therapies can be highly specific for cancer cells because they target proteins only found on the cancer while sparing the normal cells. This research is using nanoparticles that contain the target protein as well as medications that block other cells that dampen the immune system in order to increase the immune system's ability to kill the cancer cells.

This grant recognizes the partnership with Tap Cancer Out, a jiu-jitsu based 501(c)(3) nonprofit raising awareness and funds for cancer fighting organizations on behalf of the grappling community.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Lian was awarded new grants in 2018 and 2019 to fund additional years of this International Scholar grant. Based on progress to date, Dr. Lian was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this International Scholar grant. MYCN-driven neuroblastoma accounts for about 30% of neuroblastomas and is associated with an extremely poor prognosis. Casein Kinase 2 (CK2) is an enzyme that is currently in clinical trials to treat multiple cancers. However, its efficacy on MYCN-driven neuroblastoma remains unknown. Dr. Lian's research aims to test if CK2 inhibition can serve as a new strategy to treat MYCN-driven neuroblastoma. A portion of this grant was named for The Amanda Rozman Pediatric Cancer Research Fund, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund created in memory of Amanda Rozman and honors her courageous battle with neuroblastoma by funding promising new treatments and clinical trials in the area of translational research.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Aune was awarded new grants in 2017 and 2018 to fund additional years of this Scholar award. Survival from pediatric cancer approaches 80%, but long-term survivors have alarming rates of heart disease as adults. Dr. Aune's lab has developed models to study how pediatric cancer therapies affect the heart. This research aims to determine the potential for new chemotherapy agents to damage the heart. These strategies will lead to a better quality of life for children who survive cancer.

Rhabdomyosarcomas are the most common soft-tissue cancers in children and adolescents. Current treatments are often ineffective, and researchers need new ideas to treat this cancer. Dr. Hettmer has developed a new model of pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma, and is using this to show that a protein (Gremlin 1) produced by rhabdomyosarcoma tumors could be important. She is investigating how Gremlin 1 changes rhabdomyosarcoma behavior and whether it can serve as a drug target. Awarded at Children's Hospital Boston and transferred to Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Bandopadhayay was awarded new grants in 2017 and 2018 to fund additional years of this Scholar award. Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain cancer of childhood. As the Hannah's Heroes St. Baldrick's Scholar, Dr. Bandopadhayay and her lab have shown that the drug JQ1 can hinder the cancer causing effects of a gene called MYC in one of the most aggressive types of medulloblastoma. This project aims to identify drugs which can be added to JQ1 to improve effectiveness. The results of this project will help determine combination therapies that can be used to treat children with this aggressive type of brain tumor.

This grant is named for Hannah’s Heroes, a St. Baldrick’s Hero Fund created in honor of Hannah Meeson and pays tribute to her fight by raising awareness and funding for all childhood cancers because kids like Hannah “are worth fighting for.”

Based on progress to date, Dr. de Blank was awarded new grants in 2017 and 2018 to fund additional years of this Scholar award. Although therapies have improved for children with brain tumors, survival for malignant disease remains poor. Most of these children will have a recurrence of their tumor in the area of their original tumor, likely due to a tumor that was never fully removed. Dr. de Blank is investigating a new radiographic tool to diagnose brain tumors prior to surgery and define the extent of the tumor's invasion. This tool aims to improve outcomes by identifying children at risk for tumor recurrence and poor outcomes.