The mission of the Pediatric Tumor
Biology and Therapies Program is to develop and test novel therapeutic
strategies for pediatric solid tumors.
To accomplish this mission, we identify novel biologic targets by conducting
basic laboratory research on pediatric solid tumors, and then use this
knowledge to develop new biologic therapies that address these targets.
The overall goal of our research is to understand the biology of pediatric solid tumors. We have used investigations of tumor blood vessel growth, or angiogenesis, as a lens to illuminate the fundamental drivers of tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance in these cancers. Angiogenesis is a critical step in tumor progression, providing the tumor with the oxygen and nutrition it needs to survive and grow. Our laboratory has shown that pediatric tumors make a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) that is essential for this process. We have also shown that treatment with the anti-VEGF antibody Bevacizumab or the novel VEGF blocking agent VEGF-Trap dramatically inhibits the growth of neuroblastoma, Wilms tumor, and hepatoblastoma in experimental tumor models.
The
goal of the Biologic Therapies group is to translate our understanding about
the biology of pediatric tumors into new treatments for children with cancer. As a direct result of our research in
angiogenesis, we are leading the first pediatric clinical study with
Bevacizumab. This nationwide study focuses on children with relapsed solid
tumors, and is sponsored by the National Cancer Institute and the ChildrenŐs
Oncology Group. We are currently
developing other studies with new drugs, addressing the critical need for new
therapies in children with relapsed or refractory cancers, which take advantage
of the knowledge gained from our laboratory research.