David Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Division director of Pediatrics - Hematology/Oncology University of Iowa- stead family children's
“We are using stem cell models, cancer cell lines, and patient-derived models of Ewing sarcoma in the laboratory to identify targets for differentiation-based therapies. We are also working on targeting DNA replication stress in tumors using FDA-approved drugs and identifying novel approaches to activate tumor suppressors in sarcomas.
Not much progress has been made in the past two decades in the treatment of Ewing sarcoma (and other pediatric sarcomas, including osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma) so I am very interested in translating our work to the clinic. We used our stem cell model to identify that Ewing sarcoma tumors are uniquely sensitive to a particular combination of drugs-- inhibitors of ribonucleotide reductase (an enzyme involved in DNA synthesis) + drugs that inhibit the ATR/CHK1 pathway (involved in DNA damage repair). The combination of ribonucleotide reductase + ATR/CHK1 inhibitors is currently being tested in early phase clinical trials in adults and children, and we hope to be able test this drug combination in kids with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma.”
-Dr. David Gordon
2024 Go Gold Gala Funded Researchers
2024 Go Gold Gala
Funded Researchers
Alex Kentsis, M.D., Ph.D.
Director at Tow Center for Developmental Oncology, Sloan Kettering Institute and Departments of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, and Physiology & Biophysics, Associate Professor Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Dr. Kentsis' research focuses on complicated cancer biology - most specifically epigenetics and cellular plasticity- a phenomenon that relates both to the fundamental mechanisms of cancer pathogenesis and to the development of improved rational therapies.
There are several exciting projects happening in his lab, where most recent work has included a focus on rhabdoid tumors (a group of highly aggressive childhood cancers, which often occur in the brain and are known as atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors- or ATRT), as well as promising new work that would change how a large group of children with aggressive Medulloblastoma are treated. using genomic sequencing, RNA sequencing, and proteomic data.
Previously Funded
Go Gold Gala Researchers
Previously Funded Go Gold Gala Researchers
Jessica foster, M.D.
researcher and attending physician - Hematology/Oncology
children's hospital of philadelphia
Dr. Foster’s research and clinical interests focuses on developing CAR T cells for pediatric solid and brain tumors and improving CAR T cell efficacy and safety using RNA-based technologies.
Her current research began during oncology fellowship, where using a CD19 CAR model, she was able to improve existing RNA CAR technology through the use of a novel purification method, paving the way for RNA CAR T cell therapy in solid and brain tumors. Her goal moving forward has been to apply these same RNA synthesis techniques toward CAR T cells targeting pediatric solid and brain tumors.
During her time in the lab she has published on this work and taken on multiple projects developing CAR therapy for neuroblastoma and high-grade pediatric brain tumors. These projects include targeting GD2 with RNA CAR T cells for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, development of new CAR structures targeting GPC2 for neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma and high-grade gliomas, as well as using mRNA encoding cytokines as a boost to enhance the efficacy of CAR T cells for solid and brain tumors. Dr. Foster is also investigating additional immunotherapeutic targets using genomic sequencing, RNA sequencing, and proteomic data.
Jim olson, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Clinical Research
Jennifer Lynn Kranz, Unravel Pediatric Cancer Endowed Chair
As a physician-scientist, Dr. Olson cares for children with brain tumors and conducts research that focuses on discovering and developing new cancer therapies. His lab’s work has led to more than a dozen national clinical trials, of which he leads a Phase III trial through the Children’s Oncology Group. Dr. Olson is the founder of Presage Biosciences and Blaze Bioscience.
His lab invented the chlorotoxin-based Tumor Paint, which led to the development by Blaze of the clinical candidate Tozuleristide (BLZ-100), now in human trials. He authored “Clinical Pharmacology Made Ridiculously Simple,” which has been the most used pharmacology board review book for more than 25 years.
Dr. Olson earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1989 and his M.D. in 1991, both from the University of Michigan. He then completed his residency in pediatrics in 1994 and his fellowship in pediatric oncology in 1997, both at the University of Washington. Dr. Olson is currently a Full Member at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, a Professor at the University of Washington, and an Attending Physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
What makes Unravel different?
In the traditional funding model, researchers cannot be nimble. If their research leads them to a new and important finding, they cannot redirect funds from other grants to pursue this promising information.
This is where Unravel comes in. Our goal at Unravel is to eliminate obstacles, bottlenecks, and barriers by providing unrestricted funding to help researchers translate ideas into new therapies. We do not ask researchers to take hours to write a grant. We select the best researchers knowing they are working tirelessly to find new, less toxic therapies for the children they are treating and their families.
Unravel funding disrupts a broken system.
Traditional Grant Funding
The current funding system mainly supports clinical trials, hardly any money goes to funding innovation and early stage research.
Our goal at Unravel is to eliminate obstacles, bottlenecks, and barriers by providing unrestricted funding to help researchers find new therapies. Putting the emphasis and money towards early stage research and innovation.
This is where Unravel can make a difference and prevent more kids from dying of cancer.
unravel Funding
How do we select what research gets funding?
We have created a Scientific Review Committee compiled of current pediatric research scientists, members of a pediatric research consortium, pharmaceutical industry scientists, and/or clinical trials coordinators. These individuals are in place to help us to identify pediatric cancer scientists with promising work that we can fund.
Scientific Review Committee
Alia Merla, PhD. Unravel’s Scientific Review Committee Chair
Emily Theisen, Ph.D., Center for Childhood Cancer, Columbus, OH
Dr. Thiesen is using a completely new approach for developing treatments for Ewing sarcoma based on the patients' DNA structure and how it interacts with other components in the cell.
Myron Evans, MD, Ph.D., Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle, WA
Dr. Evans uses very cutting-edge tech to try and compare brain tumors to normally developing brain and find good drug targets. He's also working to improve the results from immunotherapy.
Kyle MacQuarrie, MD, Ph.D., Northwestern University/Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Dr. MacQuarrie is investigating the way that the organization of the cell nucleus relates to the biology of a pediatric soft tissue sarcoma.
Joanna Yi, MD, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX
Dr. Yi investigates how genes are regulated in pediatric leukemia and identifies and characterizes new potential drugs with less toxicity than what is currently available.
Nick Vitanza, M.D., Seattle Childrens and Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle, WA
Dr. Nick Vitanza is a pediatric neuro-oncologist who focuses on treating children with CNS tumors, including DIPG, DMG, and ATRT. He conducted groundbreaking research at NYU and Stanford, which led to clinical trials and recognition. At Seattle Children's, he leads their DIPG research and leads clinical trials for CNS CAR T cell therapies.
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