Grants Search Results

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

Many children with neuroblastoma die of their disease, and treatments sometimes cause lethal side-effects. Dr. Aguilar is studying a family of natural substances called sphingadienes, found in soybeans, that are able to kill colon, prostate and other cancer cell types. While initial studies indicate they may kill neuroblastoma cells too, this study is the first step in exploring sphingadienes as a new treatment option for children with neuroblastoma.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Allen-Rhoades was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that affects children, adolescents and young adults. Patients have better survival if the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body. This project aims to develop a blood test that can detect the cancer and determine if it has spread to other areas. This test will be more sensitive and easier to use than current methods, and will ultimately help improve the survival of children with osteosarcoma.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Annesley, Tap Cancer Out St. Baldrick’s Fellow, was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant cancer of the white blood cells. Each year in the United States, approximately 10,000 adults and 1,000 children are diagnosed with AML. Only about 50% of these patients will be cured with current chemotherapy. Recently, mutations of genes have been shown to contribute to the development of AML, such as the FLT3/ITD mutation. Another mutation, Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) has been demonstrated in about 10% of patients with AML, but its effect on the development of leukemia is not well understood. WT1 and FLT3/ITD mutations can occur together, and patients with both mutations have dismal survival rates of 15%. This project attempts to prove that these two mutations can work together and may contribute to the formation of leukemia. It also attempts to show that mutations of WT1 cause cells to function abnormally, directly contributing to the development of leukemia. Early research shows that cells with WT1 mutations grow faster and more aggressively. Researchers have created the first model to study the interaction between FLT3/ITD and WT1 mutations. Ultimately, if WT1 mutations are shown to contribute to the formation of leukemia, the development of a drug that interferes with WT1 could improve cure rates in patients with AML.

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.

Despite decades of research, children with glioblastoma multiforme (a type of brain cancer) rarely survive more than three years. This project is testing a new drug (CC11050) that might treat this type of cancer, and may lead to clinical trials in children with glioblastoma multiforme to improve cure rates.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Boston was awarded a new grant in 2015 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. Studies show that a robust immune system improves survival of patients with cancer, which may explain why patients with the same cancer treatment have different outcomes. This project aims to find a treatment which can enhance the patient's immune system, potentially improving outcomes, by measuring immune system responses to chemotherapy, testing immune-enhancing drugs, and performing a clinical trial to determine whether these drugs are effective in enhancing the immune system in children with cancer. Awarded at UT M.D. Anderson and transferred to Our Lady of the Lake, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Baton Rouge Affiliate.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Breese was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. When a parent hears that their child has leukemia, one of the first questions doctors hear is, "Why?" Years of research on this question has shown that there are critical changes that happen in a cell that lead to the development of leukemia. Using new technology, this project is to recreate the genetic changes that play an important role in the development of many types of leukemia. This will help us to better understand why children develop cancer and to develop more focused therapies to improve our ability to cure childhood leukemias.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Ferguson was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. Neurofibromatosis type I is a rare genetic disorder that affects about 100,000 people in the United States alone. Of children with this disease, 25-40% form slow growing tumors called plexiform neurofibromas. These tumors can cause disfigurement, disability, and even death, depending on their location. To date, there is no effective therapy to treat these tumors. This project is testing drugs, already developed by pharmaceutical companies, that block growth in other cancers, for plexiform neurofibromas. The purpose of this study is to find a life-saving treatment for children with these tumors.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Gowda was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. This project studies the regulation of the function of the Ikaros protein. The loss of function of the Ikaros protein is associated with the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that does not respond well to current therapies. Dr. Gowda is studying the way that Ikaros prevents the development of leukemia and to explain why the loss Ikaros activity leads to the development of leukemia. Thus, the results of this project will give insight into the mechanism of leukemia development. The more researchers learn about the way a cell changes to a cancer cell, the easier it will be to find new and more effective treatment options for patients with childhood leukemia.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Moses was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. Salinomycin, an antibiotic used in agriculture, has recently been shown to be highly effective against cancer stem cells, which are the resistant cells that contribute to relapse. This project aims to determine whether this antibiotic, in combination with standard treatment, can be used to effectively treat childhood brain cancers that develop resistance to standard treatment. The knowledge generated from this study will provide a new concept for treatment of brain tumors to achieve tumor eradication and potentially cure. Awarded at the University of Texas HSC San Antonio and transferred to the University of Virginia.

This grant is made with generous support from the McKenna Claire Foundation established by the Wetzel family in memory of their daughter, McKenna. Their mission is to cure pediatric brain cancer by raising awareness, increasing community involvement and funding research.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) makes up 15% of childhood leukemia. There is a protein inside the cancer cells of patients with T-ALL that helps the cancer cells grow. Dr. Richard aims to decrease the amount of this protein so it cannot stimulate the cancer cells to grow. This will help to develop better treatments for children with T-cell leukemia.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Schultz was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a subtype of pediatric leukemia, has poor long-term outcomes, making it important to develop new treatments. Markit St. Baldrick's Fellow Dr. Liora Schultz's research focuses on taking advantage of the immune system to fight cancer. Cancer cells often go unrecognized by the immune system, and Dr. Schultz aims to genetically engineer immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells, and ultimately translate this technique to the clinic to treat pediatric patients with AML. Awarded at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and transferred to Stanford University.

This grant is named for Markit, Ltd., whose 24-hour head-shaving events worldwide have raised over $1 million to fund life-saving research through the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Wu was awarded a new grant in 2014 to fund an optional third year of this fellowship. Dr. Wu studies a kind of blood cancer called ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), one of the most common types of childhood cancer. One of the main treatments for ALL is steroid therapy - not the steroids you take for bodybuilding, but the steroids you take if your asthma or your "bad back" is getting worse. This research is to understand why steroid treatment sometimes does not work in ALL. The main goal is to improve steroid treatment, to cure more patients.

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

The original grant was named for Dr. Jeffrey Lipton in recognition of his tenure on the Board of Directors and in honor of his leadership, support and advocacy for childhood cancer research.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Barrett, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. While doctors can cure many children with leukemia, a significant number will have cancer that doesn't respond to chemotherapy or comes back (relapses). Dr. Barrett is working on a strategy to take a part of a patient's own immune system, the T cells, and redirect them towards the leukemia with an artificial construct called a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). Early results indicate this approach works well, but more research about the T cells is necessary to fully harness their power. This therapy has the potential to save the lives of children with leukemia when chemotherapy and stem cell transplant cannot.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Davis, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a blood cancer and the most common cancer in children. Although great improvements have been made in curing this cancer, there are still children who die of ALL. Kara Davis, D.O., NetApp St. Baldrick's Scholar, focuses on how these cancer cells are related to normal developing blood cells, and how the ways these cells "communicate" are different from normal cell communication. This project also investigates how the communication in cancer cells is different in children who are are cured of their leukemia from those whose disease comes back.

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

Based on progress to date, Dr. Friedman, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Medulloblastoma, the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor, is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Current treatments are harmful to the developing brain. Brain tumor-initiating cells (BTIC), which give rise to all tumor cells like a queen bee, are likely responsible for cancer recurrence. Genetically-altered herpes simplex virus, which has been used safely and effectively in adult trials, targets and kills tumor cells and BTIC while sparing normal brain cells. This laboratory is studying the use of clinically-ready viruses in difficult-to-treat medulloblastomas, to provide the foundation for future pediatric trials using this cutting-edge therapy to benefit children with these deadly cancers.

A portion of the grant was generously supported by the Miracles for Michael Fund, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund created in memory of Michael Orbany and honors his tremendous strength to never ever give up.

This research seeks to improve treatment for AML, a childhood leukemia, by studying abnormalities in the leukemia-associated WT1 molecule. Studying changes in WT1 will help researchers better understand what causes leukemia, and how best to treat it. Most AML cancer cells have abnormally high WT levels compared to normal cells. This project studies ways to measure WT1 levels in blood samples after patients have received chemotherapy, in hopes of using WT1 as a marker of low-level disease, which may be difficult to detect, and as a target for treatments, which will directly affect these residual leukemia cells.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Lee, was awarded a new grant in 2016 to fund an additional year of this Scholar award. Immune cells can now be engineered to recognize and kill cancer cells, then administered to patients. Dr. Lee's project is one of the first to bring this promising new therapy to children with cancer. This research aims to discover how these cells work, how to better harness their potential and to determine which cell types are important for effective and persistent anti-tumor activity. Several clinical trials of this breakthrough therapy for children with cancer are scheduled to open at this institution and others in the next few years, and this work will increase the chance that these trials will be effective against childhood cancer. Awarded at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health and transferred to University of Virginia.

A portion of the grant was generously supported by the Hope from Harper Hero Fund created to honor Harper Wehneman who passed away from Wilms tumor when she was 9 years old. This fund continues her legacy of inspiring joy and bringing hope to kids fighting cancer by funding research in the area of stem cell transplant survival.

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.