CHLA pediatric oncologist receives Hyundai Hope on Wheels grant

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.