Jun 28 2012
Weili Sun, MD, PhD, a pediatric oncologist at Children's
Hospital Los Angeles, was awarded $75,000 by the Hyundai Hope on
Wheels program. She will use this money to further her research into the
role of epigenetics in cancer. The check was presented at a handprint
ceremony held at The
Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles that was
attended by Hyundai executives, patients, and the actor, BH Lee.
"We applaud the efforts of Hyundai for their commitment to improve the
lives of children now and in the future by supporting the research
career development of faculty such as Dr. Sun with innovative ideas
about the causes of, and new treatments for, childhood cancer," said Brent
Polk, MD, director of The Saban Research Institute.
Sun, a physician in the Children's
Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases, said, "The Hope on Wheels
grant will support my efforts to find new and effective therapies for
childhood leukemia. My research is an early phase clinical trial using a
new epigenetic strategy to overcome drug resistance in childhood acute
myeloid leukemia or AML."
Cancer can be caused by changes in our DNA. Scientists have come to
understand that cancer may also result from epigenetic changes
that are caused by an accumulation of chemical signals that can switch a
gene on or off. Epigenetic alterations have been shown to be associated
with the development of cancer, drug resistance and disease relapse.
Research indicates that these alterations in cancer cells and drug
resistance can be overcome using certain medications. The next step is
to test these medications in patients.
"This will be the first epigenetic drug combination used in pediatric
AML patients. If effective, this may provide a new strategy to overcome
resistance in children with other types of cancer," said Leo
Mascarenhas, MD, division chief of Oncology at the Children's Center for
Cancer and Blood Diseases. The treatment strategy will be investigated
in a multicenter study through a consortium called TACL, Therapeutic
Advances in Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma, that is focused on
translational research in early phase clinical trials for childhood
cancer. The operation center for TACL is located at Children's Hospital
Los Angeles.
Source: Children's Hospital Los Angeles
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