Grants Search Results

Ewing sarcoma is a cancer of bone and soft tissue in children and young adults, which is fatal if untreated. While often successful, therapies for Ewing sarcoma have severe long-term side effects for survivors. Dr. Lombard is testing a new means of treating Ewing sarcoma, by targeting the mitochondrion, the metabolic hub of the cell. Dr. Lombard and his team have early results to suggest that this new approach may provide a way to efficiently kill Ewing sarcoma cells, with little impact on normal cells and organs.

This grant is named for Love Your Melon, an apparel brand dedicated to giving a hat to every child battling cancer in America as well as supporting nonprofit organizations who lead the fight against pediatric cancer.

Osteosarcoma is the most common bone cancer in children. Typical treatment includes cancer-killing drugs for several weeks followed by surgery. These drugs work for some patients but not for others. Doctors need a way to identify which patients respond to treatment and which don’t. Dr. Roblyer is studying the efficacy of a new light-based technology to determine when and if patients respond to treatment. This technology is low-cost, fast, and measurements are taken with a hand-held or wearable probe, like a Fitbit for cancer. If successful, this research will provide doctors with a new and simple method to personalize and improve treatment for each child with osteosarcoma.

Dr. Wechsler and his team study how normal white blood cells turn into leukemia cells. They have discovered that a protein called CRM1 is directly involved in turning on specific genes that cause leukemia to develop. Dr. Wechsler is studying this previously unrecognized function of CRM1 by identifying other proteins that are required for CRM1 to turn on. This research aims to allow Dr. Wechsler to design new drugs that can selectively target leukemia cells and increase cure rates.

Relatively little is currently known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of medulloblastoma spread throughout the spinal fluid. Dr. Keller's preliminary findings show that medulloblastoma tumor cells actively migrate to the surface of the covering of the brain and spine, rather than arriving passively. Dr. Keller is investigating the efficacy of stopping the tumor cells from migrating to the brain and spine surfaces, which, if successful, will provide a rationale for future clinical trials.

Childhood cancer survivors can have problems with their lungs due to their cancer treatment. Dr. Kirchhoff is completing the first study to examine how air pollution affects the health of childhood cancer survivors.

Neuroblastoma is a common type of childhood cancer that arises from nerve-like cells and causes tumors just outside the brain. Dr. George is studying tumor cells from patients to discover new molecular targets for treatment of neuroblastoma. Dr. George and his team are growing tumor cells from patients and examining their electrical properties in order to identify specific proteins that carry electrical current that may be new targets for treating neuroblastoma using existing non-cancer drugs.

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is an aggressive blood cancer of young children. The only current curative treatment is bone marrow transplantation. Yet, about 50% of children do not survive despite this very aggressive therapy. An improved understanding of the mechanisms that cause JMML is critical to developing new treatments. Dr. Cantor is studying a protein called GATA2, which normally turns on and off white blood cell genes, to determine if it is incorrectly activated in JMML. If so, the results of this project will support development of medicines to inhibit GATA2 for the treatment of JMML.

Based on progress to date, Dr. John was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. Unfortunately, even with intensive treatment, only 60% of children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) will survive the disease. Intensifying standard therapies have failed to improve survival rates, so a new approach is needed. Dr. John is creating a novel receptor that will specifically target a marker on AML cells. He will put this new receptor on T-cells of the body, which will then target and kill the leukemia cells. Dr. John hopes to improve outcomes for pediatric AML with this grant.

This grant is generously supported by Super Soph's Pediatric Cancer Research Fund. Sophie Rossi was diagnosed with AML at 3 months of age. Throughout her courageous battle, she was always smiling, always joyful. This fund was created to honor her spunky, sweet spirit by funding research to find cures for AML and all childhood cancers.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Deel was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. Rhabdomyosarcoma is a childhood cancer of the muscle that has two major subtypes. Children with the alveolar type do very poorly, as these are frequently recurrent and metastatic. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma cells have a specific fusion protein that is a powerful cancer driver and that does not yet have a pharmaceutical treatment. Dr. Deel and his team recently found that the Hippo pathway, normally functions to suppress tumor growth, is not correctly regulated in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, which leads to TAZ (a co-activator) activating pro-tumoric gene transcription.

As the Aiden's Army St. Baldrick's Fellow, Dr. Deel is studying the interaction between the protein and the co-activator TAZ as a novel therapeutic target. Aiden Binkley was diagnosed with Stage IV rhabdomyosarcoma at age 8. This bright, funny and courageous little boy believed he got cancer so he could grow up to find a cure for it. His vision is being carried on by Aiden’s Army through the funding of research. They will march until there is a cure!

Based on progress to date, Dr. Mavers was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. Many children with cancer cannot be cured with chemotherapy alone and must undergo bone marrow transplantation. This treatment permits very high doses of chemotherapy to cure the cancer then rebuilds the immune system, which is destroyed by such high chemotherapy doses. In many cases, rebuilding a new immune system causes the new immune cells to attack the body, which is called graft-versus-host disease. Graft-versus-host disease can damage many organs. Dr. Mavers is studying ways to use special cell types to stop graft-versus-host disease and make stem cell transplantation a safer way to cure cancer.

This grant is made with generous support from the Rays of Hope Hero Fund that honors the memory of Rayanna Marrero by giving hope through research funding. She is remembered for her infectious smile and energetic spirit that continue to inspire so many.

Children's cancer can spread through the body by hiding from the bodys immune system. There are certain cells, called regulatory T cells, that make it easier for cancer to hide by turning down the bodys immune system. Children with cancer who have a higher number of these cells seem to have a poorer outcome. Additionally, some cancers have these cells inside them. Dr. Mathias's lab has made a drug that can kill regulatory T cells, and will test this drug in a model to see the effects of killing the regulatory T cells, hopefully helping the body to improve the immune system's ability to kill cancer cells.

Pediatric Philadelphia Chromosome positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has a poor prognosis despite the introduction of Ph+ targeted drugs (TKIs). And for patients that fail to respond or relapse after TKIs, the prognosis remains grim. Dr. Cohen is studying why pediatric Ph+ ALL patients relapse (or fail to respond) to TKI treatment. Dr. Cohen has shown in early studies that combinations of TKIs and another new class of drugs can overcome TKI resistance. Because many of the drugs Dr. Cohen and his team are testing are commercially available, promising data from their research may move into future clinical trials.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Ney was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. Many cancers include groups of cells that are relatively inactive, meaning that they divide less frequently than other cells and use fewer nutrients from their environment. This inactivity often makes these cells less susceptible to chemotherapy because these cells do not take in chemotherapy drugs due to their slow growth. As a result, these cells can remain present after treatment, potentially leading to disease recurrence. Dr. Ney is studying these inactive cells and their behavior, to more fully understand cancer and how to better treat it.

The initial grant was made with generous support from Tough Like Ike, a St. Baldrick's partner which was created in honor of cancer fighter Issac "Ike" Yarmon. The organization raises awareness and funds for leukemia and childhood cancer research.

This additional award is named for Ben's Green Drakkoman Fund, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund created in memory of Ben Stowell who battled an aggressive form of osteosarcoma yet lived life with courage and an inspiring determination to survive. The fund is named after the superhero he created to help him better understand his body's fight against cancer.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare cancer of the immune cells that can cause a wide range of symptoms, ranging from a rash to lethal multi-organ disease. Dr. Zinn hypothesizes that a patient's symptoms are determined by a combination of the patient's specific mutation and the specific immune cell that becomes mutated. Dr. Zinn is investigating the causes of LCH in order to develop the most effective and safe therapies for each patient.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Huang was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. Cure rates for Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are poor and current therapies are toxic. Dr. Huang is using accurate models of AML to test novel agents that target cancer specific dependences. The overall goal of Dr. Huang's research is to develop new therapeutic strategies in AML to enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity. This research will inform efforts to develop novel treatment combinations in children with AML.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Sinha was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this Fellow award. Myelodysplastic syndrome is a rare disease that affects the stem cells in the bone marrow, which causes decreased blood counts. It is also known to be a precursor to acute myeloid leukemia. Cellular mutations are present in majority of these cases, however the mechanisms of development of these mutations are still not clear. Dr. Sinha is studying these interactions, in order to identify new prognostic factors and therapeutic options for these patients. Awarded at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and transferred to University of Oklahoma Health and Science Center.

Children with aggressive leukemia frequently require a bone marrow transplant to achieve a cure. Some children have a small number of leukemia cells remaining before receiving a bone marrow transplant, which makes it very likely that their leukemia will recur. Dr. Taraseviciute, the Team Abby St. Baldrick's Fellow, is studying the power of the immune system to fight any remaining leukemia cells after bone marrow transplantation. To do this, Dr. Taraseviciute and her team are making T cells (a special type of immune cell) that can recognize and eliminate leukemia cells to provide a chance for a cure for children who have already received a bone marrow transplant.

This grant is generously 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.

This institution is a member of a research consortium which is being funded by St. Baldrick's: Pediatric LEukemiA Precision-based Therapy (LEAP) Consortium. For a description of this project, see the consortium grant made to the lead institution: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.

This institution is a member of a research consortium which is being funded by St. Baldrick's: Pediatric LEukemiA Precision-based Therapy (LEAP) Consortium. For a description of this project, see the consortium grant made to the lead institution: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.

This institution is a member of a research consortium which is being funded by St. Baldrick's: Pediatric LEukemiA Precision-based Therapy (LEAP) Consortium. For a description of this project, see the consortium grant made to the lead institution: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.