The Keller Laboratory at cc-TDI: 04/01/2011

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

In Appreciation: Douglas Church

Tireless is often a figurative term, but in Doug's case it can be a literal adjective. Our lab team often comes in for a 'second shift'. But we're often not the only ones up in the Biomedical Research Building... Tonight, 9:13pm, as usual -- Doug is still doing his first shift... and a very long one at that! Doug is a key administration and grants person who strives for excellence, and it shows not only in his hours but also the quality of what he does.

Thank you, Doug!

Friday, April 8, 2011

Congratulations, Tohru !

Many congratulations to Tohru that his study of the role of the Rb1 gene in muscle stem cells has been accepted for publication in The Journal of Biological Chemistry. This particular study was a lot of work, and it is the third paper by Tohru from his postdoctoral fellowship in our laboratory (the other in press & recent in print studies were on the muscle cancer rhabdomyosarcoma and a strangely muscle-like ontogeny of pituitary progenitor cells). Tohru is truly a scientist for all seasons.

Co-authors of the JBC study include current KellerLab member, Guangheng Li, as well as KellerLab alumnists Suresh Prajapati and Koichi Nishijo.

[ Pictured to the right is Tohru with his wife, Dr. Sachiko Ohshima-Hosoyama, who also is a KellerLab alumnist. ]

[ now Online! click here. Print publication will be June 3. ]

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Welcoming Sangeet

We are excited to welcome postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Sangeet Lal, to the Keller laboratory. Sangeet brings expertise in malignant glioma tumor microenvironment and unique animal model to our laboratory & program.

An introduction in Sangeet's own words,

" My first exposure to basic science research happened during my M.Sc. at I.I.T., Bombay,

India

, and my interest in this career matured during my tenure as a research assistant at ICGEB,

India

. I want to establish my research career in developing tumor cell-specific targeting strategies. During my doctoral training in Jeffrey Greenwood’s lab at Oregon State University, I developed my knowledge of cancer cell biology while studying the mechanisms regulating invasion of glioblastoma cells using transparent zebrafish as in-vivo and organotypic mouse brain slices as ex-vivo approaches. My post-doctoral research in Dr. Keller’s lab will focus on investigating factors responsible for leptomeningeal metastasis in pediatric brain tumors. "

We're very glad to have Sangeet on our team!

Monday, April 4, 2011

AACR Annual Meeting

Today at the American Association for Cancer Research in Orlando, Ken presented his poster on The role of protein kinase Cι in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. Charles also began his term on the tumor microenvironment (TME) steering committee.

An emerging theme is that targeted (non-chemotherapy) drugs probably need to be given in combination for most solid tumors, and that the complexity of cancer and nearby non-cancerous tissue needs to be considered for targeted treatment, too.

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.