UT Health SA Newsroom: Surprising finding using zebrafish model explains how recurring cancer may resist treatment

SAN ANTONIO (July 21, 2017) ― UT Health San Antonio researchers are learning how stem cell biology causes 30 percent of children who have a rare muscle cancer to relapse and not respond to treatment.

To do this, the lab of Myron Ignatius, PhD, at UT Health’s Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, is using zebrafish. These fish have the unusual trait of being translucent. “Zebrafish are like a glass of water. You can see right through them,” said Dr. Ignatius, assistant professor of molecular medicine at UT Health.

Since 2004, UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) mission has been to advance scientific knowledge relevant to childhood cancer, contribute to the understanding of its causes, and accelerate the translation of knowledge into novel therapies. Through the discovery, development, and dissemination of new scientific knowledge, Greehey CCRI strives to have a national and global impact on childhood cancer. Our mission consists of three key areas: research, clinical, and education.

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