The Keller Laboratory at cc-TDI: 08/01/2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

COG CNS Biology Committee Meeting in Bethesda

Yesterday and today the Children's Oncology Group Biology Committee met to discuss important new ways to help risk stratify patients with childhood brain tumors, as well as exciting potential new therapeutic approaches. We presented some of our work on targeting the ubiquitin-proteasome system in medulloblastoma. The highlight of the meeting, though, was the collaborative nature and the great scientific exchanges.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Welcoming Judy !

We are excited to welcome UTHSCSA graduate student, Chi-Yun 'Judy' Chang to our laboratory for her Fall rotation. Judy graduated with a BS in Biochemistry from The University of Texas at Austin. During college, she worked in the laboratory of Dr. John T. McDevitt, developing a particle based flow cytometric assay for CA-125 for comparison with the UT Nano-Biochip system. Judy hopes to be involved in research in with cancer in the future.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Aislynn receives Guarino Award

At Convocation today, Aislynn was acknowledged as the recipient of the 2009 Armand J. Guarino Award for Academic Excellence in Master of Science Studies. As Aislynn described in her acceptance speech, her project on childhood brain tumors (medulloblastoma) was a truly multi-disciplinary endeavor. Aislynn's strong communication skills and ability to bring in collaborators across diverse disciplines made her project possible. The second of two publications from her work will be submitted this coming week. We are so proud of what Aislynn has achieved. We wish her good luck and great success in Chicago!

[ above-right: Aislynn and her parents at the awards ceremony ]

Monday, August 10, 2009

Scott Carter Foundation BIG SHOW & Golf Classic

Koichi and Charles were privileged to participate in this year's annual Scott Carter Foundation fundraiser weekend, that included the "Big Show" and the Golf Tournament at the Indian Springs Country Club in Tulsa. Scott's Family and the Foundation's many selfless volunteers make ongoing important contributions of profound impact to childhood cancer research and advocacy. We appreciate all that they do!

You Can Participate in our Novel Therapeutics Studies !

One would like to think that tangibly better treatments for rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and other childhood cancers can be found in a matter of years, instead of tens of years. Finding new treatments starts with research, perhaps even a new research approach to identifying effective new treatments. The Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute focuses on finding molecules in childhood cancers that can be directly turned off or on by drugs so that the tumor stops growing. Behind our novel approach is the use of genetically-engineered mice. Our Pediatric Preclinical Testing Initiative uses mice modified from before birth so that at a certain age, and in a certain tissue, the same mutations found in a child’s cancer are activated in the mouse. These special mouse models of childhood cancer can be used to test a treatment to see whether the tumor growth and spread (metastasis) can be reversed. The specific aspect of these mice having normal immune systems is a real plus, too, because white blood cells play an important role in how tumors evolve and respond to therapy.

Our program is designed around community participation. Through the Children's Cancer Therapy Development Institute, you can contribute directly to this grass-roots initiative. Donations through small gifts or grants will assist in studying compounds that may be effective in treating such childhood cancers as alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, or medulloblastoma (the alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma model was featured by Dr. Keller's long time collaborator and former mentor, 2007 Nobel laureate Mario Capecchi, in his Nobel Prize lecture {see 16 minutes onward}.)

For additional information regarding supporting this program please contact Charles Keller at charles@cc-tdi.org. Results obtained through these studies will be shared with the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program, as well as the Children’s Oncology Group, which designs clinical trials for childhood cancer.