Grants Search Results

This grant supports a Clinical Research Coordinator to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports an Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Clinical Research Nurse to ensure that more AYAs can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

Fortunately, the majority of children with cancer can be cured of their disease. For those children that are not cured, new therapies and new approaches are needed. Additionally, for those children who are cured, we need to work on decreasing the risk of long-term side effects by understanding how chemotherapy medications are metabolized in each individual patient and developing more targeted therapies to decrease off-target side effects. Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland is currently in process of developing a tumor/tissue bank in order to have patient samples available for collaborative researchers to help tackle some of these questions in order to improve the outcomes and side effects for children with cancer. Some of the research collaborators who are currently utilizing samples from the tumor bank are looking at new methods to harness the immune system to help with killing cancer cells which can minimize some of the side effects from chemotherapy. Additionally they are using samples from the tumor bank to look at the genetics of each person's particular cancer to help identify potential therapeutic targets. Researchers can also utilize this genetic information to answer other genetic questions such as why certain patients metabolism certain chemotherapy medications so differently than other patients and ultimately why certain drugs appear more effective in certain patients than others. This grant supports a Clinical Research Associate to support the tumor/tissue bank.

Through this partnership with The Children's Cancer Foundation, proceeds from St. Baldrick's events in Hong Kong fund life-saving research in Hong Kong. The St. Baldrick's Foundation is proud to partner with the Children's Cancer Foundation and has been doing so since 2008.

This grant funded two projects. Project 1: The early bone marrow relapse in Acute lymphoblastic Leukemia has a low remission rate. Previous case studies showed that adding a new agent, Bortezomib, on top of the Rituximab, together with intensive chemotherapy, may achieve remission for adults. The study aims to add this new agent Bortezomib to paediatric treatment to improve survival rate. Project 2: Previous studies showed that MRD monitoring of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is a very important tool to guide the stratification of treatment. This study introduces a new penal of antibodies to improve accuracy and sensitivity for MRD monitoring and aims at developing a more cost-effective approach of MRD monitoring in Hong Kong.

Pediatric cancer research remains limited by a lack of data sharing. While clinical trials remain the cornerstone of pediatric cancer breakthroughs, a consistent and reliable way to store and share data from these trials is lacking. The University of Chicago Pediatric Cancer Data Commons was established to solve this important problem. Sitting alongside the NCI's Genomic Data Commons, the PCDC serves as a neutral repository for data from clinical trials. This information is first converted into a commons format that is consistent across pediatric cancers. The PCDC allows researchers to search over thousands of patients' data to see quickly what data are available for study. Researchers can then apply for access to data, and the PCDC streamlines the process of requesting and downloading data. Finally, the PCDC connects researchers to other kinds of data, including genomic information so critical to studying pediatric cancer. This grant supports personnel to help build the PCDC, so that researchers can efficiently access data and create new ways to study pediatric cancer.

This grant supports personnel to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports the Nurse Researchers in the UIC/Rush/Stroger COG Program to ensure more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports a Clinical Research Associate to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports a Clinical Research Associate to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports a Clinical Research Associate to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports the Childhood Cancer Survivorship Program at Valley Children's Hospital, providing critical patient data for survivorship researchers.

Childhood cancer kills more children each year in the US than any other disease. Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital's mission is to conquer childhood cancer through superior care, research, and comprehensive support. Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital provides the medical expertise for children, adolescents, and young adults in the central New York area. They do this by participating in national treatment trials sponsored by the Children's Oncology Group (COG). This grant supports a Clinical Research Associate to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Phoenix Children's Hospital is the only program in the Southwest offering phase I clinical trials for children with cancer, enabling patients to receive the newest, most promising treatments available. These studies are critical for patients whose cancers cannot be cured by currently available treatments. The Early Drug Development Program Clinical Research Assistant supported by this grant will help to conduct these cutting edge trials.

This grant supports a Clinical Research Nurse to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure. In the past, children diagnosed with cancer in the Rio Grande Valley had to travel to cities such as Houston or San Antonio to get state-or-the-art treatment through clinical trials. Physicians at the Vannie Cook Clinic in the Rio Grande Valley now have access to the most advanced trials and latest medications through Children’s Oncology Group and other Texas-based clinical trials. This gives patients the opportunity to have the optimal outcome from their cancer therapy. More importantly, parents know that their child is getting the best care available, anywhere. That gives families hope that their child will live a long, healthy life.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT) and atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) are rare but devastating childhood cancers. Most children diagnosed with MRT and AT/RT are under the age of two, and most will die from their disease despite intensive treatment interventions. New insights into what causes these cancers, and new therapies, are desperately needed. Genetically, MRT and AT/RT are simple cancers, caused by loss of just one gene called SMARCB1. If we are to understand and treat MRT and AT/RT, therefore, we need to understand how loss of SMARCB1 causes cancer.

As the recipient of the Oh Danny Boy I Love You So: The Danny O'Brien Rhabdoid Tumor Research Fund St. Baldrick's Research Grant, Dr. Tansey is working on an innovative molecular mechanism through which loss of SMARCB1 causes MRT and AT/RT. He proposes that these mutations drive cancer by stimulating the activity of a known pro-tumorigenic gene called MYC. Dr. Tansey further proposes that MRT and AT/RT can be effectively treated by drugs that block the actions of MYC, currently being developed by us and others. He is testing this model and exploring its therapeutic implications. Completion of this work has the potential to transform the understanding of how MRT and AT/RT form and how they can be treated. Danny O’Brien was five months old when he was diagnosed with a rare malignant rhabdoid tumor on his liver. Despite treatment to shrink the tumor, he passed away at the tender age of 9 months. Fortunately, he knew nothing but love and affection for all of his short life. This fund honors Danny’s courage and remembers his unconditional love in the midst of his battle with cancer.

The shape and function of bone, fat, muscle, and other connective tissues evolve through a carefully orchestrated process that leads mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to progressively differentiate into more lineage-restricted tissue-specific phenotypes. As this occurs, MSCs must interpret their surrounding extracellular milieu. When everything works correctly, normal mesenchymal tissues emerge. When disrupted, as tragically occurs with Ewing sarcoma (ES), the aberrant fusion protein (FP) acts as powerful transcription-factor that corrupts the epigenetic program and locks ES in an undifferentiated state unable to interpret or respond to the biophysical cues present in the tumor microenvironment. Attempts to understand the FP’s effect upon tumor-ECM interactions within monolayer culture systems that lack a native tumor microenvironment has contributed, not unexpectedly, to spurious results that overestimate the clinical effectiveness of chemotherapy. To close this gap, Dr. Ludwig's multi-disciplinary team is using an innovative 3D tissue engineered model, pioneered by his laboratory, to assess next-generation EWS-FLI1-targeted therapies within a physiological microenvironment that cannot readily be studied in vivo. This project will shed new light on ES biology and promises to improve the ability to co-target the FP and other proteins that maintain the aggressive, poorly differentiated state of ES.

This grant is generously supported by the Shohet Family Fund for Ewing Sarcoma Research. Noah was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma in his freshman year in college. After limb salvage surgery and chemotherapy, he was able to return to school. Two years later, Noah relapsed. This Hero Fund honors his courageous fight and hopes to raise funds for Ewing sarcoma research.

We can now manipulate the immune system with remarkable precision and efficacy to fight certain cancers. However, tumors adapt to reduce immunotherapy efficacy. This is true for solid tumors including osteosarcoma. Therapy-refractory metastatic osteosarcoma represents a pressing unmet need, as the outcome has not improved for over 3 decades. This multi-institutional collaborative proposal explores tumor-extrinsic pathways by which pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma evade immunity. Dr. Huang’s team is focusing on key molecules responsible for such evasion, against which existing or emerging therapeutic agents are available currently or in the very near future. Therefore, uncovering these pathways could realistically offer multiple new clinical trials for pediatric and AYA metastatic osteosarcoma in the next 3 years. This Osteosarcoma Collaborative St. Baldrick's Grant to Cure Osteosarcoma is funded through the generosity of the Osteosarcoma Collaborative.

Despite the use of multimodal treatments and the implementation of several clinical trials worldwide, pediatric cancers survival rate has come to a standstill for the last decade. Moreover, intensive therapies are not devoid of long-term side effects, notably increasing lifetime risk for secondary malignancies. The duty of the pediatric oncologist is to propose the most adequate treatment to cure pediatric patients with the best quality of life for a long time. Therefore, understanding the biological underpinnings of pediatric malignancies is crucial to develop new therapeutic paths adapted to the specificities of a young organism. A major pitfall is the lack of adequate experimental models. To overcome this problem, Dr. Broutier is developing patient-derived 3D-organoid models (mini-tumor growing in a dish) of pediatric cancers. Beside their broad interest for research community, she will use them to identify mechanisms involved in cell death resistance in pediatric cancers, as a key step towards development of new targeted therapies adapted to children and adolescents.

Nearly half of all children diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) will suffer a relapse after initially successful treatment. Whereas therapy efficiently clears the bloodstream of leukemia cells, frequent evidence of residual drug resistant disease points to a leukemia protective role of the bone marrow microenvironment. The mechanism by which the bone marrow acquires these protective abilities is not clear. Dr. Kurre recently observed that so called stroma cells, that provide bone marrow structure and support are functionally altered. Pilot studies conducted by Dr. Kurre also identified a new mechanism by which AML changes these stroma cells. In this project Dr. Kurre is studying pediatric AML samples to understand how the altered stroma protects leukemia cells from the effect of drugs commonly used to treat children with AML. The long term goal is to develop treatment approaches that reduce the burden of relapse, by maintaining initial remissions in children with AML, and without further escalating drug toxicity. Awarded at Oregon Health and Science University, and transferred to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Adoptive immunotherapy has demonstrated unprecedented clinical success in the treatment of leukemia. In this therapy, T cells are isolated from a patient, expanded outside of the body, and genetically modified prior to reinfusion. The ability of these T cells to recognize and eliminate cancer cells is improved by expressing a protein (CAR) on the T cell surface. This protein increases "specificity," the ability to recognize cancer cells, and "function," the ability to destroy those cancer cells. An important challenge in cellular immunotherapy is to minimize the manipulation of patients' T cells outside the body. Prolonged culture protocols trigger functional exhaustion and compromises their efficacy upon return to the body. A critical issue involves the pre-requisite "activation" step necessary for CAR expression on the cell surface of T cells. By optimizing culture conditions, Dr. Ghassemi developed approaches to express CAR in dormant T cells without the need for activation. Importantly, her preliminary findings show that elimination of this activation step retains effector function and potency of CAR T cells in models of the pediatric cancer ALL. This project is providing insight into the regulatory components influencing CAR expression in dormant T cells which will lead to superior CAR T cells for cellular immunotherapies against ALL.

This grant is supported by TEAM ABBY Gives, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund. Abby was diagnosed with Pre-B ALL when she was almost five years old. She had a successful bone marrow transplant, but battle battled graft vs. host disease (GVHD) for years. Abby and her treatment team worked hard over many years to keep the GVHD in check. Sadly, Abby passed away on October 19, 2021. This fund unites the incredible support of family and friends in Abby's memory and inspires others to join the fight for cures and better treatments.