Grants Search Results

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.

Childhood brain tumors are frequently quite different than those of adults. Dr. Eck's For the Love of Jack St. Baldrick'’s Research Grant aims to find new “targeted” therapies for low-grade astrocytomas (a type of brain tumor) in children that are caused by a mutation in a protein called BRAF. BRAF mutations are common in cancer, and drugs have been developed that are effective in some tumors caused by one type of BRAF mutation. Unfortunately, these drugs do not work on the BRAF mutation found most often in pediatric brain tumors. Dr. Eck is using detailed information about the molecular structure of the BRAF mutation found in pediatric brain tumors to discover new drugs that specifically target this cause of brain tumors in children. Jack Tweedy was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer when he was two. Since then he has endured multiple surgeries and 270 weeks of chemotherapy but never fails to uplift those around him. Together with his family, he inspires others to help fund the best research to ensure that all cancer warriors have better treatment options.

Treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using chemoradiation can be successful, but it is difficult to manage treatment-associated side events and secondary cancers. Furthermore, in relapsed/refractory patients, the overall prognosis remains dismal. Direct inhibition of the main proteins promoting cancer (the “oncogenes”) is not successful in ALL. Dr. Ntziachristos's "Just Do It…...and be done with it" St. Baldrick'’s Research Grant will study certain oncogene-supporting mechanisms that might be specific to a diseased state, and not to a healthy state. Dr. Ntziachristos has selected one of these mechanisms to target in ALL models, and is assessing the anti-cancer activity that results. Such experiments could pave the way for clinical trials for high-risk disease. This grant is named for the “"Just Do It...…and be done with it"” Hero Fund created in honor of Sara Martorano who doesn'’t let anything dim her sparkle and has a compassionate heart and smile. It also celebrates the courage of all cancer kids through treatment and the support of their family and friends.

Medulloblastoma is formed by mutations that activate the Hedgehog signaling pathway. Dr. Vokes is investigating how the Hedgehog pathway controls the expression of genes through specific control regions of DNA. Dr. Vokes and his team are studying those DNA control regions in medulloblastoma cells, to determine if they can control the expression of target genes, thereby providing a possible therapeutic target for medulloblastoma.

Adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer have an increased risk of developing secondary cancers, cardiovascular, metabolic and bone diseases as well as cognitive impairments, which can reduce their survival and quality of life. Furthermore, most AYA cancer survivors do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. Dr. Nock is conducting a pilot study using 'cybercycling' (stationary cycling with interactive video gaming) to improve quality of life in AYA cancer survivors. She will also see if this exercise program improves their motivation to exercise, body composition (weight, body fat), fatigue, depression, and sleep habits.

Unrelieved symptoms lead to poorer quality of life for adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer. Strategies are needed to help AYAs manage symptoms. Dr. Ameringer and her team have developed the Computerized Symptom Capture Tool (C-SCAT), a novel way to assess symptoms where AYAs create a picture of their symptoms using images and text on an app. Dr. Ameringer is testing whether use of the C-SCAT improves the self-management of symptoms and patient-provider communication about symptoms in AYAs with cancer. Dr. Ameringer's findings will inform a larger trial of the C-SCAT as a strategy to improve AYA symptom self-management, and in turn, quality of life.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a tumor of white blood cells that normally fight infection. Changes in DNA, or mutations, are important in driving the development of ALL. Mutations in genes that control the reading of DNA are particularly common in leukemia cells that don't respond to treatment. Dr. Mullighan is studying engineered ALL cells and tumors to understand how these mutations result in resistance to therapy, and to develop new ways of treating ALL. The St. Baldrick’s Robert J. Arceci Innovation Award is given in honor of the late Dr. Robert Arceci. A pioneer in the field, this award reflects Dr. Arceci’s values including creativity, collaboration, and commitment to early- to mid-career scientists.

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

This grant supports a dedicated Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer program at Memorial Health University Medical Center, to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports a Research Nurse to ensure that more Adolescent and Young Adults can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports an Adolescent and Young adult (AYA) patient care navigator to ensure that more AYAs can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

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

This grant supports a dedicated Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) cancer survivorship program at Ochsner, to ensure that more kids can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

This grant supports a nurse educator for the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) program at this institution to improve patient outcomes and care.

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

This grant supports an adolescent-young Adult (AYA) liaison to ensure that more AYAs can be treated on clinical trials, often their best hope for a cure.

Genetic studies have identified the molecular causes of childhood cancers such as T-cell leukemia and neuroblastoma. A recurrent theme in these cancers is abnormal activation of the MYC gene. Accordingly, researchers like Dr. Wendel have spent much time and effort in trying to identify inhibitors of MYC as they believe these could be very powerful therapies for these childhood cancers. Dr. Wendel and his colleagues recently found a new way to block the production of MYC using a natural compound. The natural product is rare and hard to come by and therefore Dr. Wendel and his colleagues are exploring ways to generate synthetic drugs based on this plant product. With support from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation they are working to bring this new strategy to the clinic. They focus especially on heavily pre-treated and relapsed childhood leukemia because affected children have few options and they hope to make a difference.

Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the cells that become nerve tissues in the body, except in the brain. Dr. Bernstein is studying the effect of a particular mutation in neuroblastoma – an event that alters the DNA sequence to promote cancer. This mutation lies in a gene called ATRX. Dr. Bernstein takes a genomics approach to understand how ATRX mutations promote neuroblastoma in order to discover new therapies for children with ATRX mutations.

Based on progress to date, Dr. Brinkman was awarded a new grant in 2018 to fund an additional year of this Scholar grant. Survivors of childhood brain tumors are at-risk for problems with developing social relationships. These problems can lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and social anxiety. Dr. Brinkman believes this is due to changes in a survivor's brain due to their cancer and its treatment. Dr. Brinkman's research aims to examine how the structure and function of the brain is related to survivors’ understanding of social information and their social behavior. These results aim to help with the identification of treatments for social problems. This new award is generously supported by the Team Campbell Foundation, established in memory of Campbell Hoyt, who courageously battled anaplastic ependymoma, a rare cancer of the brain and spine for five years. Its mission is to improve the lives of families facing a childhood cancer diagnosis through raising awareness, funding research and providing psycho-social enrichment opportunities.

Although germ cell tumors are the most common solid tumors of adolescents and young adults, care and progress has been hampered by fragmentation between pediatric and adult oncology. No major breakthrough in therapy has occurred for over three decades. Limited genetic understanding hampers researchers' ability to tailor therapy or discover new drugs that could change outcomes. This international consortium of the world'’s leading scientists and clinicians from both pediatric and medical oncology aim to make significant advances in clinical trial design and genomic understanding of germ cell tumors.