The Keller Laboratory at cc-TDI: 05/01/2011

Monday, May 30, 2011

Welcoming Graduate Student, Rebecca Smith

We are excited to have rotation student, Rebecca Smith, join our lab team this Summer.

about Rebecca in her own words:
... with a BA in English and French (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and an MA in 18^th Century British Literature (University of Michigan—Ann Arbor), I often get perplexed stares when I say I am starting a PhD in biosciences. After spending 12 years at home raising my twin daughters and deeply entrenched in community volunteering, I started searching for something intensely fulfilling to satisfy the professional hole in my life. I begin taking basic science classes with the idea of going to medical school. Along the way I was awarded an internship in the lab of Dr. Stephen Lloyd (OHSU) in which I got my first real taste of research. I then pursued a volunteer position in the lab of Dr. Thomas Scanlan (OHSU) and have spent approximately 7 months working nearly full time. Dr. Keller interviewed me when I sought admission to the PhD program (PMCB), and it was clear to me that this lab would provide challenge, stimulation, and opportunity. I am grateful for a summer rotation and will focus both on learning new protocols and the science behind them and contributing to the lab’s research through my work.

We are honored to have Rebecca and her inquisitive nature added to our team!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Scott Michael Carter Memorial Lectureship

For the News blog entry from the Scott Carter Foundation, click here. For the Pediatric Cancer Biology Program blog entry, click here.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Rally Foundation funds Undifferentiated Sarcoma Research

We are grateful to the Rally Foundation for a grant of $25,000 to fund our PPTI research project, Targeted Therapy for Undifferentiated Sarcomas. This award is in honor of a little 4 year old girl named Ava whose life was interrupted by this same cancer. We hope to understand this rare kind of cancer, and to develop non-chemotherapy approaches that are life sustaining for future children who may face the same challenge.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Congratulations, Sachiko and Monika !

Through careful, systematic investigation the work on the mechanism of proteosome inhibitor efficacy in medulloblastoma has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology. As a matter of full disclosure, the lead to an important facet of this paper was in fact suggested by a Reviewer! This study is co-first authored by Monika and Sachiko. Other authors include Keller lab alumnists Tohru and Laura.

This work was supported by a research grant from the National Brain Tumor Society.

[ 6/5/2011 update: the paper is now online at here ]

Welcoming Emma!

We are excited to welcome recent college graduate Emma Cantor to our team! Emma brings with her rich experiences in molecular biology research as a college student, medicosocial outreach to the youth community and pediatric and cancer care exposures. Emma's Summer internship will include participation in the Childhood Cancer Registry for Familial and Sporadic Tumors [CCURE-FAST] tumor bank & registry as well as preclinical therapeutics studies.

in Emma's own words:

"My interest in pediatric oncology began during my high school years when I worked as a child life volunteer in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Cancer Center. Since then, I have continued to explore my interests in both medicine and pediatrics through EMT training and work as the Chief Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Associate in the St. Louis Children’s Hospital. After just graduating from Washington University in St. Louis (May 2011) with a BA in Biology and Anthropology, I am excited to return to my roots in the Northwest to join the Keller Lab."

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.