Use sophisticated approaches to optimize the effectiveness of current chemotherapy agents, and to develop novel chemotherapy agents

Project Goals
Our overall goals were to optimize the effectiveness of current chemotherapy agents and enhance development of novel chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of aggressive childhood cancers. Specifically we proposed to:  

• Analyze the relationship of genetic polymorphisms in cyclophosphamide metabolizing enzymes and pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide following administration of different cyclophosphamide doses. 
• Evaluate the toxicity of combining the histone deacetylase inhibitor, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), with cis-retinoic acid in children with recurrent neuroblastoma and malignant brain tumors. 

Impact
Despite state-of-the-art clinical care and continual research advances, the outcomes of aggressive childhood cancers are dismal. Our overall goals to address this situation are to use sophisticated approaches to optimize the effectiveness of current chemotherapy agents, and to develop novel chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of these aggressive childhood cancers. Our funding from the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation has provided the necessary support to hire research personnel crucial to development and implementation of pilot research projects, to fund physician and research personnel necessary for the development of Phase 1 trials in the national pediatric consortia and to fund physician leadership and oversight for our translational research program.

Update
Julie Park received a 2008 Phase I/II Infrastructure grant.