Rhabdomyosarcoma Research presented in Ascona

We are grateful to Denis Guttridge (Ohio State), David Glass (Novartis) and Markus Ruegg (University of Basel) for the opportunity to present our work on the epigenetic determinates of rhabdomyosarcoma at the 2011 International Conference on Molecular Mechanisms of Muscle Growth and Wasting in Health and Disease.  Our laboratory's work was very well received, and new collaborations were established that take us into new, exciting multidisciplinary areas.  
  
[ The conference was sited at Centro Stefano Franscini in Ascona, Switzerland (pictured). ]

Personalized Medicine Talk with Georgetown Colleagues

We are grateful to Dr. Aykut Uren and colleagues including Todd Waldman and Jeff Toretsky for the opportunity to present our research and approaches to personalized cancer therapy as part of the  the Georgetown University Hospital/Lombardi Cancer Center visiting professorship series.  The ideas exchanged bring both groups closer to our goal of improving survival for the 1 in 5 children for which current therapy is yet not sufficient for long term survival.    

Update on the Personalized Cancer Therapy Trial - for Canine Osteosarcoma

Congratulations to Lara on an excellent research-in-progress presentation at the Annual OHSU-DCH Pediatric Fellows Research Conference.  This Phase II clinical trial for dogs with osteosarcoma opened 2 weeks ago.  The early success of this collaboration is a large part attributable to the strong collaboration with Dr. Bernard Seguin at Oregon State University Veterinary Hospital and lab members and alumni, Jinu and (especially) Nicolle, respectively.  

Scott Carter Foundation Big Show!

Last night in Tulsa was the Scott Carter Foundation Big Show! that precedes the annual golf tournament fundraiser.  Scott was a young boy who had osteosarcoma, but without regard for himself he was passionate that other children like his friend Addie should have better available treatments.  He created an effort to raise money for childhood cancer research, and in his memory Scott's family and community annually raise funds that support the training of new research scientists, which have included Charles more than a decade ago, as well as our own lab's recent graduates: Koichi Nishijo, Jinu Abraham and Nicolle Hofmann.  We are grateful to the Scott Carter Foundation for their support of our trainees and our research on sarcomas, including osteosarcoma.
 
[ right, John Grant mc'g the auction; left, Charles and Paul 'Ole Dad' Compton, Scott's grandfather. ]
 

Collaborator, Dr. John Ohlfest

For a summary from Minnesota Public Radio on the promising tumor immunology approach of brain tumor researcher, Dr. John Ohlfest, click here.  

Patrick M. Callahan Memorial Fund

Our thanks go to the generous support of the family and community of Patrick Callahan, in whose memory Patrick lives on despite the 15 month battle with metastatic alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma that claimed his life at age 24.  Patrick is remembered as a smiling and joyful young man (and dedicated Phillies fan), and it is in this spirit that "Patrick's Team" of Elaine and Janelle are pursuing a research project sponsored by the PMCMF to understand the process of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma metastasis.  
  

Jared's Juggernaut to Cure Sarcoma

We are sincerely grateful to Robyn Grossman and the community supporting Jared's Juggernaut to Cure Sarcoma for their recent, generous gift to support research of rhabdomyosarcoma.  Jared was no stranger to challenges, making his way through adolescent and young adult life despite learning disabilities by graduating high school a year early and achieving a 3.4 college GPA (despite a 5 year battle with rhabdomyosarcoma).  Jared was the best in us, and the inspiration to do more than we think is possible.  Through the research support provided in his memory, we will work towards developing new rhabdomyosarcoma cell cultures enriched in tumor stem cells, and we will perform molecularly-targeted drug screen testing specifically of these metastasis-prone cells.  This work will be done by our lab members Emma (left) and Jen (right), who will be "Jared's Team".