Grants Search Results

Based on progress to date, Dr. Nakamura, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Survivors of childhood cancers are susceptible to developing second malignant neoplasms, which are complications of cancer treatments. Dr. Nakamura's lab has developed new experimental models that closely replicate this clinical problem, which they are using to study the biologic basis for second malignant neoplasms. This research improves the understanding of the genetic and biochemical mechanisms causing second malignant neoplasms, which may lead to improved cancer prevention strategies for childhood cancer survivors and the general population.

A portion grant is generously supported by the Morgan and Friends Fund, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund, created to honor Morgan Loudon. It celebrates her strength and determination as a cancer survivor while rallying family and friends to “battle on” in the search for cures and better treatments.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Wang, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. AML (acute myelogenous leukemia) is an often-fatal disease in children and adolescents. Part of the reason for limited success in curing AML is that current therapies don't attack the cancer stem cells that are responsible for maintaining the leukemia. Dr. Wang's research seeks to identify specific ways to target those hard-to-kill AML stem cells. To do this Dr. Wang is using the cutting-edge technologies of phosphoproteomics, which allow researchers to look at biologically vital pathways in cancer stem cells in a comprehensive, efficient, and novel manner. Awarded at Children's Hospital Boston and transferred to City of Hope.

A portion of this research was funded by P.A.L.S. Bermuda with funds raised through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Parekh, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a blood cancer that represents 15% of childhood leukemias. Of children with T-ALL, 20% fail to respond to therapy, and the survival for these children is less than 30%. Studying the mechanisms underlying the development of leukemia is critical for designing new treatments for T-ALL. Defects in the BCL11B gene are seen in T-ALL, and this project studies the role of BCL11B in the development of T-ALL, with the ultimate goal of understanding how T-ALL develops and identifying potential treatment strategies. Awarded at University of California, Los Angeles and transferred to Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Pinto, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Prior to his 2015 relocation to Seattle, Dr. Pinto was the FOX Schools Challenge St. Baldrick's Scholar. He studies neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer of the nervous system. Factors such as patient age, extent of tumor spread, and tumor genetics are used to identify patients at highest risk of relapse, and these patients receive the most aggressive treatment. Despite this, more than half of these high-risk patients will die of disease. This project is using patient genetics to identify children that may be resistant to chemotherapy, allowing researchers to further refine the risk stratification and alter therapy for those patients at highest risk of relapse, to ultimately cure more children of this devastating disease. Awarded at the University of Chicago and transferred to Seattle Children's Hospital.

A portion of this grant was named for the FOX Schools Challenge, created in 2007 when Chicago area schools and students began to rally around the mission to Conquer Childhood Cancers, inspiring more than 15,000 people to shave and raising more than $5 million for childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Filemon Dela Cruz, M.D., NetApp St. Baldrick's Scholar, studies ewing sarcoma, a common cancer of the bone and tissues in children. Despite our best therapies, less than 20% of children with widespread disease will survive. Dr. Dela Cruz's lab recently developed a model of Ewing sarcoma that has been genetically altered to mimic the early stages of this disease. This project aims to use this model to identify the biologic steps that went wrong in a cell to create Ewing's sarcoma, so that researchers can devise ways to correct and prevent these mistakes from ever occurring.

This grant is named for the NetApp team, whose employees around the world have raised more than $3 million for lifesaving research through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Mulcahy Levy, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Jean Mulcahy Levy, M.D., elope, Inc. St. Baldrick's Scholar Award, studies autophagy, a multi-step process that cancer can use to survive. It is possible to block this survival mechanism and hopefully make cancer easier to kill with other treatments like radiation and chemotherapy. This project has three goals to improve survival of children with brain tumors. First, to find which step of the process should be blocked to kill the most tumor cells. Second, to find which brain tumors depend most on autophagy to survive. And finally, to determine if a specific genetic mutation found in some pediatric brain tumors can identify patients who will most benefit from autophagy directed treatments.

This grant is named for elope, Inc., for its generous and faithful support of St. Baldrick's. The company has donated its popular green leprechaun hats and other whimsical attire to St. Baldrick's fundraising events, and the company's event has raised more than $1 million to fund lifesaving research.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Curran, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Our body can fight off infections using the immune system. This is why we feel better a few days after catching a cold. Our body can fight cancer in the same way, and the goal of Kevin Curran, M.D., AVM Traders St. Baldrick's Scholar's research is to teach the body to do that. This project aims to modify the immune system through gene therapy to create "cancer assassins" that target cancer cells. Ultimately, this method of cancer treatment may eliminate cancer without the side effects of current treatments such as chemotherapy (drugs) or radiation (x-rays).

This grant is named for AVM Traders, a company that has raised more than $1 million for childhood cancer research through the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Vanan, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Issai Vanan, M.D., M.P.H., studies medulloblastoma, the most common malignant brain tumor in children. High-risk medulloblastoma patients have low disease-free survival. Radiotherapy used in its treatment has significant long-term side-effects and new therapeutic strategies are needed that will minimize these side effects. The goals of this project are to validate and study the clinical importance of genes that may play a role in radiation resistance of medulloblastomas. Dr. Vanan hopes to identify new therapeutic targets/drugs that are therapeutic while using much lower doses of radiation, thereby reducing the negative side effects of radiotherapy. A portion of the grant was named in loving memory of Fr. Peter J. McKenna, beloved brother of former St. Baldrick's board member John McKenna, and in honor of John's incredible dedication and service. Awarded at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and transferred to CancerCare Manitoba.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Cho, Miracles for Michael St. Baldrick's Scholar, was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Medulloblastoma is the most common brain cancer in children. Currently, these children undergo surgery and aggressive radiation and chemotherapy, and still about 35% do not survive. Survivors are often left with permanent disabilities with learning, strength and coordination. There is a critical need for newer, more 'targeted' therapies that will not only increase survival of patients, but also prevent damage to the normal brain. The goal of Dr. Cho's research is to identify the molecular factors that medulloblastomas rely on for growth and survival, in order to develop new strategies to more effectively treat children diagnosed with this lethal disease. Awarded at Children's Hospital Boston, transferred to Stanford University, and transferred to Oregon Health & Science University.

This grant is named for the “Miracles for Michael” Hero Fund created in memory of Michael Orbany and honors his tremendous strength to never ever give up.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Schultz was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Rare tumors are understudied, yet have the potential to shed light on vast areas of cancer research. Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors, rare tumors of childhood and young adulthood, have recently been found to be associated with a lung cancer of early childhood called pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB). The cause of these ovarian tumors is unknown. DICER1 mutations are seen in the majority of children with PPB and also in some patients with ovarian tumors. Like PPB, ovarian stromal tumors are highly curable when found in early stage; however, later forms of the disease are aggressive and often fatal. This project establishs the International Ovarian Stromal Tumor Registry to collect clinical and biologic data. Understanding these rare tumors will lead to increasing survival and reducing late effects. The Registry provides information to improve the direct care of children with these conditions and facilitate future research.  

Based on progress to date, Dr. Chow was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are aggressive brain tumors in children, extremely difficult to treat. Current therapies are ineffective and the majority of patients succumb to their disease, with HGG responsible for a significant portion of cancer-related deaths in children. To date, the majority of research on HGG has been conducted on tumors in adults, but there is evidence that HGGs in children have different characteristics, which suggests that treatments for adults may not be effective in children. This study is to better understand how HGGs arise and grow in children in order to tailor treatment to this population and identify combinations of drugs that will improve survival.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Gershon was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Medulloblastoma strikes the cerebellum, a brain region that sees rapid growth after birth, as special cells called progenitors divide repeatedly, increasing the number of brain cells. Gene mutations that allow unrestricted progenitor growth cause medulloblastoma. Understanding which genes control progenitors, and how these genes work together, may lead to new medulloblastoma treatments. Dr. Gershon is investigating a previously unknown connection between the immune system, brain growth, and the formation of brain tumors, and a novel way to use developmental biology to treat medulloblastoma.  

Based on progress to date, Dr. Kim was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Despite the recent advances in chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), drug resistance often results in relapse of ALL. Preclinical studies have shown that leukemia cells can evade chemotherapy as they are protected by their bone marrow environment. This study proposes to dislodge chemo-resistant cells from the protective bone marrow making them vulnerable to chemotherapy. We propose to study the functional role of CD49d in drug resistant leukemia and will validate it as a potential, novel target for treatment of recalcitrant childhood ALL.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Mullighan was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer and still the most common cause of cancer related death in children. This project uses cutting-edge genetic profiling approaches to identify all genetic alterations contributing to the pathogenesis of high-risk childhood leukemia. This project uses detailed genomic analysis coupled with the development of experimental models of ALL that examine the role of newly identified genetic alterations in the development of leukemia, and response to therapy.  

Based on progress to date, Dr. Wei was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Dr. Wei and his team are using a genetic screen to study a novel candidate drug molecule's mechanism of action as an inhibitor of NAMPT, a key protein that regulates cancer cell metabolism. Their findings show that the molecule is effective against patient leukemia cells. Dr. Wei is working to better understand how this molecule works to kill leukemia cells and identify what are the genes and pathways involved, in hopes that it can be used to treat and cure patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Wolfson was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Cancer treatments for young children and older adults have made incredible progress. However, adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed at 15 to 39 years old have not seen these same improvements, leaving an AYA Gap. Within this AYA group, racial/ethnic minority patients fare poorly, as do patients not receiving care at a nationally recognized cancer center. This study tests the theory that the AYA Gap is largely due to disparities in access to quality cancer care. Ultimately, the aim of this project is to help develop strategies to reduce these disparities in outcome and eliminate the AYA Gap. Awarded at the City of Hope and transferred to University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Raabe, the Hannah's Heroes St. Baldrick's Scholar, was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional two years of this Scholar award. Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant pediatric brain cancer, and patients with high-risk medulloblastoma have a poor prognosis. Unfortunately, few models for aggressive medulloblastoma exist, severely limiting our ability to test new treatments for the patients who need them most. The goal of this proposal is to develop accurate models of high-risk medulloblastoma for pre-clinical therapeutic testing. This allows for rapid progress to be made, as researchers can use these models to screen for new drugs, test drug combinations, identify for factors conferring resistance to chemotherapy, and look for pathways that might be an "Achilles heel" for high-risk 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. Braun was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Approximately one-third of human cancers harbor mutations in RAS genes, causing malignant cells to proliferate inappropriately. In pediatric oncology, RAS mutations are particularly common in leukemias. Unfortunately, the RAS protein is a difficult molecule to attack with drugs. An alternate approach is to target other proteins that are required partners for RAS to exert its control. Some types of cancer are dependent on rare "cancer stem cell" populations with unique properties. This research is to discover how cancer stem cells are affected by mutations that activate RAS, and to use this information to devise novel therapies.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Dallas was awarded a new grant in 2013 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potential cure for various pediatric cancers. Approximately one-third of patients who require a transplant do not have a suitable matched donor, and umbilical cord blood transplants are an increasingly utilized alternative, with over 20,000 performed since 1988. One of the major complications is the increased risk for serious infection due to the prolonged period of time the patient's immune system is suppressed after transplantation. Dr. Dallas and her team have developed a novel method to generate cells that will hasten the time to recovery. Their goal is to translate these findings to pediatric patients and improve their survival.

Based on progress to date, Dr. De Oliveira was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. New therapeutic approaches are needed for pediatric leukemia and lymphoma, because patients with refractory or relapsed disease still have a survival rate of less than 50% with current therapies. This research involves a novel cancer immunotherapy protocol, transferring a gene into the patient's own blood stem cells, giving rise to immune cells able to directly and specifically target a surface molecule that is present in more than 95% of leukemias and lymphomas. This project evaluates the cancer cell destruction by the modified immune cells, setting a basis for future clinical trials.