Molecular Cancer Research: Intrinsic Resistance to Cixutumumab Is Conferred by Distinct Isoforms of the Insulin Receptor

December 1, 2015

Amelie Forest 1, Michael Amatulli 1, Dale L Ludwig 1, Christopher B Damoci 1, Ying Wang 1, Colleen A Burns 1, Gregory P Donoho 2, Nina Zanella 3, Heinz H Fiebig 3, Marie C Prewett 1, David Surguladze 1, James T DeLigio 1, Peter J Houghton 4, Malcolm A Smith 5, Ruslan Novosiadly 6 Abstract Despite a recent shift away from anti-insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR) therapy, this target has been identified as a key player in the resistance mechanisms to various conventional […]

Genes & Cancer: The role of FLI-1-EWS, a fusion gene reciprocal to EWS-FLI-1, in Ewing sarcoma

November 7, 2015

David J. Elzi1, Meihua Song1, Peter J. Houghton1,2,3, Yidong Chen1,2,4, and Yuzuru Shiio1,2,5 ABSTRACT Ewing sarcoma is a cancer of the bone and soft tissue in children that is characterized by a chromosomal translocation involving EWS and an Ets family transcription factor, most commonly FLI-1. The EWS-FLI-1 fusion oncogene is widely believed to play a central […]

Business Wire: Epizyme to Present New Scientific Data on the Role of HMT Inhibitors in Cancer

November 4, 2015

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Epizyme, Inc. (NASDAQ: EPZM), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company creating novel epigenetic therapies for cancer patients, will present data from 11 accepted abstracts on the role of histone methyltransferase (HMT) inhibition in human cancers at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics taking place in Boston, Mass., November 5 – 9, […]

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention: Mutation Screening and Association Study of the Folylpolyglutamate Synthetase (FPGS) Gene with Susceptibility to Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

November 1, 2015

Duangjai Piwkham 1, Teerapong Siriboonpiputtana, Joke Beuten, Samart Pakakasama, Jonathan Al Gelfond, Karan Paisooksantivatana, Gail E Tomlinson, Budsaba Rerkamnuaychoke Abstract Background: Folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS), an important enzyme in the folate metabolic pathway, plays a central role in the intracellular accumulation of folate and antifolate in several mammalian cell types. Loss of FPGS activity results in decreased cellular levels of antifolates and consequently to polyglutamatable […]

PNAS: Proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 mediates estrogen rapid signaling and neuroprotection in the brain

November 1, 2015

Gangadhara R. Sareddy, Quanguang Zhang, Ruimin Wang, Erin Scott, Yi Zou, Jason C. O’Connor, Yidong Chen, Yan Dong, Ratna K. Vadlamudi, and Darrell Brann Abstract 17-β estradiol (E2) has been implicated as neuroprotective in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we provide genetic evidence, using forebrain-specific knockout (FBKO) mice, that proline-, glutamic acid-, and leucine-rich protein 1 (PELP1), […]

Oncotarget: An mRNA expression signature for prognostication in de novo acute myeloid leukemia patients with normal karyotype

October 23, 2015

Ming-Kai Chuang1,*, Yu-Chiao Chiu2,5,*, Wen-Chien Chou1,3, Hsin-An Hou3, Mei-Hsuan Tseng3, Yi-Yi Kuo1,3, Yidong Chen5,6, Eric Y. Chuang2,4, Hwei-Fang Tien3 ABSTRACT Although clinical features, cytogenetics, and mutations are widely used to predict prognosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), further refinement of risk stratification is necessary for optimal treatment, especially in cytogenetically normal (CN) patients. […]

ASCI Post: Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Is a Founding Member of the New Pediatric Preclinical Testing Consortium (Houghton mention)

October 10, 2015

Addressing the relatively small number of new cancer drugs for children, a selective group of leading research centers is joining a new federally funded research consortium aimed at bringing scientific rigor and a concentrated effort to identifying new drug candidates for pediatric clinical trials. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and four other high-profile oncology […]

Pediatric Blood & Cancer: Inhibition of MEK confers hypersensitivity to X-radiation in the context of BRAF mutation in a model of childhood astrocytoma

October 1, 2015

Adam Studebaker 1, Kathryn Bondra 2, Star Seum 2, Changxian Shen 1, Doris A Phelps 1, Christopher Chronowski 2, Justin Leasure 2, Paul D Smith 3, Raushan T Kurmasheva 1, Xiaokui Mo 4, Maryam Fouladi 5, Peter J Houghton 1 Abstract Purpose: Curative therapy for childhood glioma presents challenges when complete resection is not possible. Patients with recurrent low-grade tumors or anaplastic astrocytoma may receive radiation treatment; however, the long-term sequelae from radiation treatment can be severe. As many […]

NCI PPTC: Sarcoma and Renal Tumor Research Program

September 1, 2015

Dr. Peter Houghton, Dr. Raushan Kurmasheva (Co-Investigator)   Dr. Houghton is the Director of the Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, which has as its mission to advance scientific knowledge relevant to childhood cancer and to accelerate the translation of knowledge into novel therapies. Dr. Houghton has been a leader in evaluating experimental agents using childhood […]

Pediatric Blood & Cancer: Radiation therapy may increase metastatic potential in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma

September 1, 2015

Gary M Woods # 1, Kathryn Bondra # 2, Christopher Chronowski 2, Justin Leasure 2, Mamata Singh 2, Lauren Hensley 2, Timothy P Cripe 1, Arnab Chakravarti 2, Peter Houghton 1 Abstract Background: We previously determined that radiation could be safely administered using a mouse-flank in vivo model to both alveolar (Rh30) and embryonal (Rh18) rhabdomyosarcoma xenografts. Mice from both tumor lines in this experiment developed metastases, an event not previously described with these models. […]