CureSearch for Children’s Cancer receives $1 million gift from Norcross Family Foundation

Funds to support cutting-edge immunotherapy trial for pediatric high-grade glioma 

Bethesda, MD – February 8, 2020  – CureSearch for Children’s Cancer has received a $1 million gift from the Norcross Family Foundation in support of a first-in-human, phase I/II clinical trial testing an innovative personalized immunotherapy for pediatric high-grade gliomas, the primary cause of death in children with brain tumors.  

The project is funded through a CureSearch Catapult Award granted to pediatric oncologist Elias Sayour, MD, PhD at the University of Florida who will partner with the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium to enroll patients at up to 18 different institutions across the U.S. beginning this year. 

Like a flu vaccine, which takes pieces of the flu virus and activates the immune system against them, Dr. Sayour’s technique takes pieces of a tumor’s genetic material and activates the immune system to identify and destroy that tumor. If high-grade glioma, a hard-to-treat tumor type, is responsive to this immunotherapy, the treatment will likely translate to other pediatric and adult solid tumors as well.  

“Dr. Sayour’s preclinical work is extraordinary, and if successful, the implication for treating all solid tumors is nothing short of groundbreaking,” said Kay Koehler, CureSearch President & CEO. “Unfortunately, this is the type of innovative project that often goes unfunded in the current research landscape. We’re thrilled to partner with the Norcross family to fill that funding gap and ensure that all children diagnosed with cancer have safe and effective treatment options.”  

“Our family believes that the work Dr Sayour is doing has the potential to be a real game changer in the progress and treatment of these cancers,” said Gary Norcross, President, Norcross Foundation. “We look forward to seeing the impact that this project will have on so many children and are proud to support this innovative work.” 

“I’m truly humbled and so very lucky to be surrounded by incredible people in the lab, at CureSearch, and within the community by the Norcross Family Foundation,” said Dr. Sayour. “We’re eager to move forward with our trial in this new year and we will work tirelessly to make a difference. Together, I know we will.” 

Dr. Sayour is an assistant professor in the Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery and the department of pediatrics in the UF College of Medicine, and principal investigator of the RNA Engineering Laboratory within UF’s Preston A. Wells, Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy.  

As part of CureSearch’s growing co-funding model, this $2.5 million Catapult Award project is also supported in part by the Resonance Foundation for Children’s Health, co-founded by Sheri Sobrato Brisson and Eric Brisson, and by the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research.  

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About CureSearch for Children’s Cancer 

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, a national nonprofit organization based in Bethesda, MD, works to end childhood cancer by driving targeted and innovative research with measurable results in an accelerated time frame. CureSearch focuses on advancing the strongest research out of the laboratory and into clinical trials and development, where better, less-toxic treatments can quickly help children. 

CureSearch Catapult Awards support high impact, clinic-ready projects as part of an overall research strategy focused on moving new treatments quickly to clinic, reaching patients in need today while potentially changing the standard of care for all patients across the globe. 

For more information, visit curesearch.org, follow CureSearch on Twitter @curesearch or join the conversation on Facebook at  facebook.com/curesearch. 

About Pediatric Brain Tumors and High-Grade Gliomas 

Brain tumors are the most common cause of pediatric cancer death. Gliomas originate from glial cells which support and nourish neurons in the brain and are classified as either low-grade or high-grade based on how likely they are to grow and spread. Low-grade gliomas usually are slow growing and stay in a local area of the brain. High-grade gliomas grow and spread aggressively and are the primary cause of death in children with brain tumors. Median survival in high-grade glioma is less than two years. 

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Alex Johnson was a happy-go-lucky 6-year-old boy who never had any health problems, so when he started experiencing back pain and a sore throat in 2012, his mother knew something was wrong. 

“Our doctor checked for strep and influenza, and they both came back negative,” Jamie Johnson, Alex’s mother, explained. “We headed home while the lab ran the results thinking it wasn’t anything major. The nurse then called and said they needed to see us immediately.” 

Lab tests showed that Alex’s white blood cell count was 63,000 – the normal range is 5,000 to 13,000. He had leukemia.  

“I told the doctor there must be some mistake and to run the blood again. He said they ran it three times,” said Jamie. “The doctor told us to go home, pack our bags and head to Children’s Hospital in Omaha, which is three hours away from our small town.  We didn’t realize that we wouldn’t be returning home with Alex for a whole month.” 

Alex was diagnosed with high-risk, T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer. The cancer was moving fast. By the next day, his white blood cell count was up to 90,000.  

“Alex began chemotherapy right away,” said Jamie. “He endured eight months of harsh chemo, about 20 spinal taps, numerous blood and platelet transfusions, and cranial radiation.”  

After more than three years, he completed his treatment in May of 2015. Alex is now 17 years old, a junior in high school with a 4.0 GPA, and is heavily involved in student organizations. Although he is cancer free, he still suffers from some neuropathy – a side effect from chemotherapy. 

Most childhood cancer survivors experience a lifetime of chronic health challenges or even secondary cancers due to the toxic treatments used to save their lives. CureSearch for Children’s Cancer is accelerating the development of safer, more effective treatments for children like Alex. 

“I first learned of CureSearch because the name was on our treatment plans that detailed the various drugs he would be taking,” said Jamie. “We looked into CureSearch and loved how most of the funding went straight to research.” 

In 2013, the family began participating in the annual CureSearch Walk, an event that honors and remembers those affected by cancer, and supports the development of new treatments. Their team, “The A Team,” was the top fundraising team in the nation for the 2022 CureSearch Walk, raising more than $10,000 for next-generation research. To date, they have raised more than $140,000. 

“If you saw Alex today, you would never guess all that he endured,” said Jamie. “We feel that every child deserves a future and want to help give back for other children like Alex. That’s why we support CureSearch. 

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CureSearch for Children’s Cancer has launched Requests for Applications (RFA) for high-impact osteosarcoma translational research, with a focus on moving quickly toward improvements in outcomes for patients.

Projects can be investigator-initiated, intervention-oriented studies or translational research to create new therapeutic options.

The total award amount is $1.5 million, which will be distributed in the amount of $500,000 per year, over a three-year period. We are better together and therefore, we’re very excited to partner with St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Battle Osteosarcoma, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, The Osteosarcoma Collaborative, and April and Michael Egge on this shared mission to cure pediatric osteosarcoma.

Please circulate this information to others who may be interested, and let us know if you have further questions.

Apply today at https://proposalcentral.com/. Letters of Intent are to be submitted by December 9, 2022, 5:00 PM ET through ProposalCentral. You can also review the full RFA in ProposalCentral for eligibility and application information. Click here for instructions on how to create a new ProposalCentral account

The post CureSearch announces Pediatric Osteosarcoma Research Funding appeared first on CureSearch for Children's Cancer.

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer has launched Requests for Applications (RFA) for high-impact osteosarcoma translational research, with a focus on moving quickly toward improvements in outcomes for patients.

Projects can be investigator-initiated, intervention-oriented studies or translational research to create new therapeutic options.

The total award amount is $1.5 million, which will be distributed in the amount of $500,000 per year, over a three-year period.

Letters of Intent are to be submitted by December 9, 2022, 5:00 PM ET through ProposalCentral. You can also review the full RFA in ProposalCentral for eligibility and application information. Click here for instructions on how to create a new ProposalCentral account

CureSearch is proud to partner with St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Battle Osteosarcoma, Children’s Cancer Research Fund, The Osteosarcoma Collaborative, and April and Michael Egge on this shared mission to cure pediatric osteosarcoma. Apply today at https://proposalcentral.com/.

The post CureSearch announces Pediatric Osteosarcoma Research Funding appeared first on CureSearch for Children's Cancer.