Childhood Cancer Research Grant Honors Zionsville Child
Zionsville, Ind.
The St. Baldrick's Foundation, the largest private funder of childhood cancer research grants, is proud to announce the Luke's Army Pediatric Cancer Research Fund, a St. Baldrick's Hero Fund, created in honor of Luke Ungerer from Zionsville, Ind., will support lifesaving childhood cancer research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children s Hospital Colorado.
Dr. Adam Green s St. Baldrick's award at the University of Colorado was named as the Luke s Army Pediatric Cancer Research Fund St. Baldrick's Scholar grant to support his research focused on a novel field of cancer treatment involving epigenetics, which refers to all changes to DNA that do not involve changes to the DNA sequence itself, but instead affect which genes are made into proteins.
Dr. Green aims to determine how exactly a specific gene, called BPTF, drives growth of aggressive childhood brain tumors called high-grade gliomas by interacting with other genes. He will measure how BPTF inhibition works with other inhibitors and whether this strategy could be useful with current standard treatments.
We are desperate to do anything that we can to help prevent this outcome from happening to any other child and family. We are dedicated to ensuring that Luke s life and the way he lived playing and smiling every day, despite feeling really rough at times, seizing the moments when he felt good to laugh with his brother or hop on his Daddy's shoulders, being so tough and brave, spreading kindness and love and hope, - is not forgotten, said Scott and Sheila Ungerer, Luke's parents. We want others to know about Luke's life and we want it to impact how they choose to live today. We believe deep in our hearts that, with incredibly smart people like St. Baldrick's Scholar Dr. Adam Green and his team, it will only be a matter of time before a child with brain cancer is told, we have the cure.
The Luke's Army Pediatric Cancer Research Fund was started to honor Luke, who brought energy, smiles and sunshine wherever he went. After a courageous battle with a rare brain tumor, Luke passed away in January 2016. Luke lived every moment of his life vivaciously. He taught many people to live in the moment and to appreciate every kindness. Through this St. Baldrick's Hero Fund, Luke s legacy will live on in many positive ways like providing hope, helping find better treatment options and cures for all childhood cancers.
Since 2016, this Hero Fund has raised more than $518,000 to support the most promising childhood cancer research. St. Baldrick's Hero Funds are an ongoing way for friends, family members and groups to donate or raise funds to honor a loved one. To learn more about the program visit the St. Baldrick's Hero Fund page.
