The Keller Laboratory at cc-TDI

Monday, July 18, 2011

Wesley’s Cure for Cancer Research Foundation

We are grateful to Matthew Nelson and the Wesley’s Cure for Cancer Research Foundation (WCCRF) for their recent generous donation that fuels our medulloblastoma cancer research. Inspired by the experiences of a young neighbor going through treatments for this aggressive brain tumor of childhood, Matthew created this grass-roots effort to honor Wesley and create hope that more effective, less toxic treatments might one day be available. 'Welsey's Team' in the Keller laboratory will use these funds to help test new, molecularly-targeted drugs for high risk and recurrent medulloblastoma.

[ "Wesley's Team" left to right: Elaine (PPTI operational manager), Jinu (PPTI scientific manager), and Melanie (medical student and Summer research intern) ]

Children's Healing Art Project

We are thankful to the Children's Healing Art Project for providing us artwork from childhood cancer patients for our laboratory. The CHAP mobile teaching artists do wonderful things for children to help them express their feelings on their journey through cancer treatment, and at the same time we get this great art! Shown to the right is our microscope room, for which we needed to block light through a window... now we have an inspiring set of images as we go to do our our work.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Schmidt Laboratory Retreat

It was a pleasure to spend the past few days with liver biologist and fellow Capecchi lab alumnist, Ed Schmidt, and his lab, colleagues and family for a backcountry Montana retreat (hiking and camping trip, complete with pack donkeys). And yes, when scientists go camping we do talk a lot of science :) but the kids also get a special set of 'guides' to nature.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Our thanks to the Thrasher Foundation

We are grateful to the Thrasher Foundation for the Early Career Award to our AYA Fellow, Lara Davis. Her project, "Translating ex vivo osteosarcoma targeted drug sensitivity into improved survival" investigates personalized cancer therapy for this adolescent and young adult cancer - using pet dogs that spontaneously develop osteosarcoma as a model. Thrasher Foundation has a long tradition of funding pediatric medical research, in the tradition of its founder E.W. "Al" Thrasher.

Congratulations, Lara!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Welcoming Janelle

We are excited to Welcome Janelle Myers to the Keller Laboratory as a Summer internship student. With one year left to finish an undergraduate degree in integrated science and chemistry at Northwestern University, Janelle is here to get a rich experience in biomedical research (one of her many possible career paths). Janelle remarks that she still doesn't have an answer to the eternal questions about what she wants to do with her life--subatomic physics, nutritional chemistry, and French cuisine (she spent the last nine months in Strasbourg) are all vying with cancer biology. A Portland native, Janelle says she is happy to be back in the city of roses and is looking forward to a great Summer.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Tandutinib in Medulloblastoma

Congratulations again to Sachiko and Monika on their recent manuscript acceptance and upcoming publication in the Journal of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology addressing the therapeutic role of Tandutinib (MLN518) in medulloblastoma. Co-authors include fellow lab members Sangeet & Jinu and lab alumni Suresh, Laura and Aoife. Collaborating co-authors are Brian Rubin (Cleveland), Marti Hanes (San Antonio) and Frank Giles (Galway, Ireland).

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Outrunning Cancer - a Runner's World story

[ from the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation Newsletter ]

The July issue of Runner's World magazine highlights Serena Burla, an elite runner, and her personal story of her fight against synovial sarcoma. The Runner's World special, Outrunning Cancer, includes "over 40 pages of content on the powerful link between running and cancer and how running races to benefit cancer charities has become a critical fundraising tool for charities" like the Northwest Sarcoma Foundation.

To read more about Serena and her amazing story visit:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-243-588--13970-0,00.html

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.