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".

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.