Friday, March 20, 2020 – During a time that is unprecedented in most of our lifetimes, with schedules and routines halted, there is one thing we know for sure that has not stopped. Kids are still getting diagnosed with brain cancer, still receiving treatments and still dying from the disease. In addition to that, researchers continue to forge ahead in discovering new treatments for these kids, even right here in Nebraska.
Watch Dr. Mahapatra explaining his study.
The Team Jack Foundation is proud to announce a three-year commitment to fund a $330,000 pediatric medulloblastoma project. The project is led by Dr. Sidharth Mahapatra at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska and will focus on pediatric medulloblastoma, grades three and four. The project that will study the chemosensitization on non-SHH/WNT pediatric medulloblastoma is regulated by miR-1253. Read more information on the project here under Project 7.
“Engaging and treating these patients has become a bit of a passion for me because I find them to be the most fragile of patients that I’ve taken care of,” stated Dr. Mahapatra. “Team Jack now is taking the lead in helping support me for the next few years, in a very critical time, wherein I have discovered certain promising targets and now I need the funding and support to see that through to the next stage,” Mahapatra continued.
“Engaging and treating these patients has become a bit of a passion for me because I find them to be the most fragile of patients that I’ve taken care of.” -Dr. Mahapatra.
In addition to Dr. Mahapatra’s high-risk pediatric medulloblastoma project, the Team Jack Foundation also approved funding for Dr. Meaghann Weaver’s RHYTHM Therapy project as well as a pharmacogenomic screening study to optimize pain medications in pediatric neuro-oncology patients led by Chris Shaffer, PharmD. Stay tuned for more information on these projects.
All three of these research projects are part of the Team Jack’s Power5 Pediatric Brain Tumor Initiative in which the Foundation has pledged a $5 million commitment to fund four areas including Research (Laboratory and/or Clinical), Education and Pain Management in Cancer. For more information about the Power5 program or the Nebraska Brain Tumor Program at UNMC in Omaha, visit www.nebraintumorprogram.org.
While we are so pleased to be funding research at UNMC it is our supporters that need the real pat on the back. Without all of you, these exciting projects would still be on hold and not any closer to helping kids. Thank you for your support and for helping us make child brain cancer a priority.