Lurie's Update: December 2016

As we start a new year, I would like to express my appreciation for the support and thoughtfulness Cal's All-Star Angel Foundation has demonstrated in order to provide brighter futures for children and their families. Your investment is enabling us to obtain the necessary personnel and resources to pursue breakthrough research that will produce increasingly more individualized and effective treatments for our patients.

Early in the coming year, we will begin the search for a skilled research technician to coincide with the arrival of internationally recognized cancer biologist Xiao-Nan Li, MD, PhD. As you may recall from our last report, Dr. Li will assume the new role of Director of Pediatric Xenograft Modeling at the Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute in January. He is a world leader in creating novel mouse models, called patient-derived orthotopic xenograft (PDOX) models, for preclinical drug screening and biological studies of pediatric tumors. Dr. Li actively participates in National Cancer Institute-sponsored research consortia, including serving as Chair of the High Grade Glioma Committee of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium. His expertise and substantial research funding will allow us to advance our Precision Medicine initiative. The pending hire of a research technician will help to accelerate the work of this accomplished investigator and bring the most effective personalized drug combinations to patients at a rapid pace.

I am pleased to share that our first joint project with Dr. Li is already in the planning stages. This project aims to develop PDOX models from surgical samples of various types of pediatric brain tumors obtained from patients treated at Lurie Children's and Texas Children's Hospital. The PDOX models will faithfully replicate the biology of recurrent brain tumors and provide us with a much-needed and ample supply of recurrent tumor tissues for detailed genomic analysis to understand mechanisms of therapy resistance and identify new targets. Mice bearing recurrent brain tumors will be ready-made for testing novel drug combinations. Our ultimate aim is to secure certification for this novel system so that preclinical drug testing results can be applied to guide clinical treatment of children with malignant brain tumors.

Research has the best potential to transform pediatric health care and ultimately, to improve children's lives. Your partnership is invaluable to our work. I look forward to updating you on our progress as we begin our search for a research technician. I would be pleased to arrange for members of Cal's Angels to meet with Dr. Li and tour his laboratory once he settles in to his new role. Feel free to contact T.J. Johnson, Assistant Vice-President of Major Gifts, at thohnson@luriechildrens.org or (312) 227-7251.

With deepest gratitude,

Stewart Goldman, MD
Division Head, Hematology, Oncology, Neuro-Oncology & Stem Cell Transplantation
Meryl Suzanne Weiss Distinguished Professor in Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation
Professor of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Director, Center for Clinical Trials Research
Co-director, Falk Brain Tumor Center, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute