CURE Childhood Cancer Annual Report 2013-2014
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o u r 2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4 r e s e a r c h p r o j e c t s<br />
The Lifesaving Research <strong>CURE</strong> Funded in <strong>2013</strong>-<strong>2014</strong><br />
<strong>CURE</strong> <strong>Childhood</strong> <strong>Cancer</strong> funded nearly $2.5 million in pediatric cancer research initiatives, representing<br />
the largest annual investment in the organization’s history. The grants supported 17 research projects<br />
at the Aflac <strong>Cancer</strong> and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; MD Anderson<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> Center; Memorial Sloan Kettering <strong>Cancer</strong> Center; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; and the<br />
Winship <strong>Cancer</strong> Institute of Emory University. The grants also bought imaging equipment and supported<br />
two research fellowships and a third, newly endowed fellowship at the Aflac <strong>Cancer</strong> Center.<br />
“Bench to bedside” our funding and clinical trials were a crucial focus of our funding. This type of<br />
research is imperative because most of the current drug therapies are designed for adult patients.<br />
Research is needed to understand the efficacy and safety for children.<br />
<strong>CURE</strong>’s <strong>2013</strong>-<strong>2014</strong> Research Initiative Included Support for the Following Research Projects:<br />
A renewed grant for<br />
A therapy trial study of<br />
PEG-interferon in pediatric<br />
patients with refractory and<br />
low-grade glioma (LGG).<br />
This study will be the first<br />
of its kind in pediatric<br />
patients.<br />
Dr. Dolly Aguilera, Aflac<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> and Blood Disorders<br />
Center of Children’s<br />
Healthcare of Atlanta<br />
work with combined<br />
drug therapies involving<br />
the combination of<br />
natural killers (NK)<br />
cells with an inhaled<br />
immunologic molecule,<br />
interleukin-2 (IL-2) in<br />
the treatment of pediatric<br />
osteosarcoma patients<br />
suffering a relapse.<br />
Dr. Eugenie Kleinerman,<br />
MD Anderson <strong>Cancer</strong><br />
Center<br />
A first-in-the-world<br />
project testing the<br />
therapeutic potential<br />
of NK (natural killer)<br />
cells in pediatric brain<br />
tumors.<br />
Dr. David Sandberg<br />
and Dr. Dean Lee, MD<br />
Anderson <strong>Cancer</strong> Center<br />
A continuing Phase II<br />
clinical trial using the drug<br />
Abatacept to prevent acute<br />
Graft-versus-Host-Disease<br />
(GvHD) in pediatric<br />
leukemia patients.<br />
Dr. Leslie Kean, Aflac<br />
<strong>Cancer</strong> and Blood Disorders<br />
Center of Children’s<br />
Healthcare of Atlanta<br />
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