Pediatrics

"The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is a funding agency that has really transformed the field of hematopoietic malignancies. By targeting adequate funding to exciting and challenging basic research and translational projects. In this project we are attempting to target stress response in pediatric T cell leukemia (T-ALL), and LLS funding will let us develop genetic tools and Test compound combinations, that will hopefully lead to a future clinical trial."

"Support from LLS has enabled significant progress in the successful treatment of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As we continue to work toward not only cure, but lifelong health in survivors of pediatric leukemia, the safe delivery of both conventional and novel, targeted therapies is critical. Funding through this LLS career development award will improve our ability to protect the heart from the deleterious effect of AML therapy, which not only threatens delivery of effective therapies and leukemia survival, but also the long-term cardiovascular health of pediatric AML survivors. The assessment of cardioprotective strategies and cardiotoxicity biomarkers, supported by LLS and embedded within the upcoming Children’s Oncology Group phase III trial in children with newly diagnosed AML, will help identify the most efficacious and safe therapy for this high risk population. Additionally, this study will augment our ability to identify children at highest risk for heart failure to allow timely initiation of medications aimed at preserving heart function and maintaining the long-term cardiovascular health of AML survivors."

"I am very grateful to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for awarding me with this Translational Research Program grant. This critical funding will help our team advance targeted and immunotherapeutic treatments for infants and babies under the age of five with subtypes of acute leukemia who do not respond to standard chemotherapy. We hope that this work will lead to therapies that can cure this aggressive type of leukemia without harming the infants’ growing bodies."

"I am very honored to receive this award from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. These funds will support the development of the liquid biopsy as a diagnostic tool in Hodgkin lymphoma. An unmet medical need in Hodgkin lymphoma, the second most common aggressive lymphoma type, is the early and accurate identification of chemorefractory patients, as they are candidates for treatment intensification to maximize the chances of cure, as well as the early and accurate identification of good-risk patients, as they are candidates for treatment de-escalation to avoid both short and long-term complications of chemo-radiotherapy. If successful, the project will provide an innovative, non-invasive and radiation-free tool for improving disease response assessment in Hodgkin lymphoma. "