Current Research

CURE continues to be an important supporter of the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University as well as other leading pediatric cancer research institutions across the nation. Through generosity of donors, CURE is able to provide more than $4 million in annual support to promising research projects.

For the current fiscal year, we are funding 17 specific projects, including our largest single grant to date – a $1.5 million award for the development of the Aflac Cancer Center Precision Medicine Program. The program envisions personalized, non-toxic and curative cancer therapy for all children.

In addition to the Precision Medicine Program, CURE is awarding another $1.26 million to projects at the AFLAC Cancer Center and $1.3 million at centers of excellence around the country.

Research Projects

Fellowship Program

AFLAC Cancer & Blood Disorders, Emory University

Graham, Douglas MD, PhD

Aflac Cancer Center Precision Medicine Program

Spencer, H. Trent PhD

Manufacturing of a GMP compliant T-cell product to treat high risk neuroblastoma

Porter, Christopher C, MD

Targeting Siglee15 for the treatment of childhood leukemia

MacDonald, Tobey MD

Combined CSF-1R and STAT3 Inhibition as a Novel Immunotherapeutic Strategy for Medulloblastoma

Gu, Lubing MD

MDM4-TOP2A interaction as potential target for treatment of pediatric cancers

Kenney, Anna PhD/Dey

Targeting YB1 to prevent post-radiation medulloblastoma recurrence

Zhou, Muxiang MD

Targeting MYCN mRNA for treatment of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma of children

Van Meir, Erwin PhD

Investigating the tumor suppressor function of BAI3 in WNT medulloblastoma

Graham, Doug and DeRyckere, Deborah

MERTK Inhibitor Combination Therapy for Treatment of AML

Cash, Thomas MD, MSc

A Phase I Study of 131I-MIBG with Dinutuximab for Relapsed/Refractory neuroblastoma

Sabnis, Himalee MD, MSc

ENCERT: A Phase 1 Trial using Everolimus in combination with Nelarabine, Cyclophosphamide and Etoposide in Relapsed T-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia/Lymphoma

Children’s Oncology Group & Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Meshinchi, Soheil MD, PhD

Target Pediatric AML

Children’s Cancer Therapy Development Institute

Keller, Charles MD

Prediction & Validation of a Novel Drug Combination Against Anaplastic Wilms’ tumor

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

DuBois, Steven MD MS

Phase 1 Trial of Dual PI3K/BRD4 Inhibitor for Children with Neuroblastoma

Seattle Children’s Hospital

Kean, Leslie MD

A First-in-Disease Phase II Trial of T-cell Costimulation Blockade for GVHD Prevention