CureSearch for Children’s Cancer has awarded a $1.5 million grant to Dr Patrick Grohar of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to develop a new targeted treatment approach for paediatric osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer.
The award – the Fight Osteosarcoma Together Super Grant – is a joint funding award with St Baldrick’s Foundation, CureSearch, Battle Osteosarcoma, Michael and April Egge; The Osteosarcoma Collaborative, and the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund of Children’s Cancer Research Fund.
“I have dedicated my life to the care of patients with bone tumours,” said Dr Grohar. “My team has a history of translating therapies to pediatric bone tumour patients, and are now seeing responses in the clinic. The work proposed has the potential to be highly impactful for the patients we serve. Our group is honored and humbled to have been selected for this award.”
Treatments for osteosarcoma haven’t changed in 30 years, and few targeted agents have successfully translated to the clinic for patients. Dr Grohar’s team will study the role of the MYC gene, a common gene in osteosarcoma tumours, and determine how MYC makes osteosarcoma aggressive.
If a novel and effective MYC inhibitor is developed as a result of this project, it could potentially improve the treatment of many cancers, including osteosarcoma.
“Real progress in childhood cancer research requires collaboration, so we are honored to be a funding partner on this award,” said Holly Zink, Director of Research and Programs at CureSearch. “Dr Grohar’s project aligns with our laser focus on addressing critical, unmet need in pediatric cancer treatment. We look forward to seeing the impact of this groundbreaking research on pediatric osteosarcoma patients who are counting on novel treatment options.”
