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Christina Turn M.D.

Researcher Photo

Funded: 07-01-2026 through 06-30-2029
Funding Type: St. Baldrick's Scholar
Institution Location: Philadelphia, PA
Institution: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia affiliated with University of Pennsylvania

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common and deadly solid tumor in children, and despite receiving the most intensive treatments available, 50% of all children with high-risk disease die from this cancer. NB is aggressive in part because it has high levels of chemicals called polyamines (which are made from arginine/ARG). A drug called difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), blocks polyamine production. Dr. Turn and colleagues combine DFMO with decreased ARG to cure 1/3 of models with NB without using chemotherapy in their research. There are however, remaining tumors that have increased macrophages. Although macrophages can eat cancer cells, many of these macrophages are hijacked to help the tumor to grow despite decreased polyamines. Dr. Turn and colleagues will learn how macrophages do this and will find ways to target them to improve this therapeutic strategy in NB.