The Keller Laboratory at cc-TDI: 11/01/2013

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Congratulations, Ken!

Ken's recent paper on a fascinating and clinically-relevant aspect of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma biology has just been accepted to PLoS Genetics. Co-authors included lab alumnist Imran Aslam (now a medicine resident at Johns Hopkins), OHSU collaborator Wolfram Laub, UTHSCSA collaborator Joel Michalek, Harvard collaborators Simone Hettmer and Amy Wagers, JHMI collaborators David Loeb and Bree Wilky and Cleveland Clinic collaborator Brian Rubin.

This is Ken's 8th paper (and 6th first author paper) from his 2 year postdoctoral fellowship in our lab (with one additional first author manuscript soon to be submitted). Amazing productivity for Ken, who is now faculty at Uji Takeda Hospital and Kyoto Prefectural University.

The study above was made possible by funding from the NCI.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Congratulations, Ken and Eri!

Eri & Ken's co-first author study of the role of the retinoblastoma gene in rhabdomyosarcoma has been accepted to the journal, Skeletal Muscle. Co-authors include lab members Noah, Jinu and Matthew; lab alumni Olivia, Elaine and Koichi; as well as collaborators Ayeza & Atiya (OHSU Pathology), Sherrie (Univ of Utah), Paul & Sean (NCI), Harry, Lee Ann Chris, Yidong and Joel (UTHSCSA), Brian (Cleveland Clinic) and Monica (IMPPC, Barcelona).

This work was made possible by a gift from the Nylund estate and fellow funding to Jinu and Koichi by the Scott Carter Foundation.

[update 11/25/2013: the manuscript Rb1 loss modifies but does not initiate alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma is now available online here.]

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Open Science Forum: Target Discovery in Rhabdomyosarcoma

Would members of the community be interested in sponsoring an experiment to launch drug discovery in rhabdomyosarcoma? We are experienced in building drug screens from our leadership of the international dipg preclinical consortium and now want to build the resources to do the same thing for rhabdomyosarcoma. We need $16,000 to build the rhabdomyosarcoma-specific 60 drug screen. Thereafter, screening each new tumor culture would cost approximately $600.

In parallel, we have an unusual set of other compounds which our lab members call, "Strange Brew." There's no other way to explain this set of compounds, which draw upon every unusual observation of cancer and muscle biology since the early 1900's. This higher risk screen is a $21,000 project... we could really use a sponsor for this second project as well.

Plates from both screens would not only be used by our lab, but also distributed to rhabdomyosarcoma research labs in the U.S. and internationally. We have a good feeling about this.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Rhabdomyosarcoma Lab-ome

We've been asked on occasion what other labs do rhabdomyosarcoma research. Below is a preliminary list (in no specific order)... we realize many are left off accidentally, but we will update this blog entry regularly to add more:

keller lab, http://kellerlabblog.blogspot.com/

langneau lab, http://langenaulab.com/

guttridge lab, http://digitalunion.osu.edu/r2/summer09/hill/

barr lab, http://ccr.cancer.gov/staff/staff.asp?profileid=18438

houghton lab (PPTP), http://pptp.nchresearch.org/

rudnicki lab, http://www.rudnickilab.ca/

schaefer lab, http://www.cnz.uzh.ch/Research/RG4/Schafer.html

khan lab, http://ccr.cancer.gov/staff/staff.asp?profileid=5584
shipley lab, http://www.icr.ac.uk/research/team_leaders/index.shtml

zammit lab, http://www.kcl.ac.uk/biohealth/research/divisions/randall/research/sections/signalling/zammit/index.aspx

hollenbach lab, https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/genetics/faculty_detail.aspx?name=hollenbach_andrew

mal lab, http://www.roswellpark.edu/asoke-mal

tapscott lab, http://labs.fhcrc.org/tapscott/

ladanyi lab, http://www.mskcc.org/research/lab/marc-ladanyi

helman lab, http://ccr.cancer.gov/staff/staff.asp?profileid=5582

malkin lab, http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Directory/People/M/David-Malkin-staff-profile.html

linardic lab, http://pediatrics.duke.edu/faculty/details/0012491

triche lab, http://www.chla.org/site/c.ipINKTOAJsG/b.8060567/k.4964/Timothy_J_Triche_MD_PhD_Laboratory__Ewings_Sarcoma__Pediatric_Cancer_Research.htm#.UoUrH8LTnuo

fulda lab, http://www.uct-frankfurt.de/content/forschung/e4699/e4665/e4672/index_ger.html

hosoi lab, http://www.kpu-m.ac.jp/doc/english/classes/medical/69.html
gauthier lab, http://www.crbm.cnrs.fr/spip.php?rubrique94&lang=en
galindo lab, http://www.galindo-lab.org/Overview.html

davie lab, http://biochem.siu.edu/faculty/Davie.html

chandler lab, http://chandlerlab.nchresearch.org/

simone hettmer* lab, tba

jonathan fletcher lab, tba

amy wagers lab, tba

rosella rota lab, tba

alessandro fanzani lab, tba

* rising star

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.