Emory University

Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia receive intensive chemotherapy to treat their illness. These medications can cause side effects that can be significant and impact the child's ability to recieve the rest of his or her treatment as scheduled. The goal of this study is to determine if there are certain genetic changes that are associated development of these side effects.

Understanding disparities in pediatric solid tumor oncology trial enrollment

Wilms Tumor

Mentor: Andrew Hong

The Role of LIN28B-let-7-PBK Axis on the Growth and Metastasis of Group 3 Medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common cancerous brain tumor in children and is often fatal. The most aggressive MBs, those designated as Group 3 (G3), often present with metastasis and frequently recur after standard therapy. The pathways that contribute to this aggressive behavior are poorly understood.

Dual PTK7/GD2 Gamma Delta CAR T Cell Therapy for Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a deadly solid tumor of childhood and current therapy for high-risk disease has many long-term side effects. We therefore need new treatment that kills tumor cells but not normal cells. Most immunotherapy approaches use the patient’s own immune system to fight their tumor. “Cellular” immunotherapy works by taking blood from the patient, isolating certain infection-killing white blood cells, growing them up outside the body, engineering them to recognize the tumor, then infusing them back into the patient to kill their tumor.

Targeting mechanisms of Siglec15-mediated immune evasion in hematologic malignancies

Leukemia, Lymphoma

Novel therapeutic strategies are still needed for hematopoietic malignancies (HM), which are the most common cancers in children. Harnessing the potency of the immune system has great promise for some of these patients, but limitations in available approaches remain. Our long-term goal is to develop novel therapeutic strategies for HM based on a greater understanding of the mechanisms of immune evasion. The objective of this project is to investigate a novel therapeutic target for HM, Siglec15 (Sig15).

The anti-tumor immune microenvironment in the Sonic Hedgehog subclass of medulloblastoma

Brain Tumors, Medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma is the most common solid pediatric tumor and the leading cause of cancer death among the pediatric patients. Current treatment options result in about a 70% survival rate, but many survivors are afflicted with life-long side effects and greatly reduced quality of life. Therefore, the search for novel, less toxic, and more effective treatment options is currently occupying the minds of pediatric cancer researchers. Recently it was shown that in the human Sonic hedgehog subgroup of medulloblastoma there is high infiltration of a unique type of immune cell - macrophages.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer