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POETIC partners with CorMedix to develop promising new drug for rare kids cancers

On September 15, 2016, the Pediatric Oncology Experimental Therapeutics Investigators Consortium (POETIC) and CorMedix Inc., announced a powerful new partnership in the fight against childhood cancer. With the new partnership agreement, POETIC and CorMedix will work together to develop a promising drug called CRMD-005 as a potential treatment for rare children’s tumours, including neuroblastoma and osteosarcoma.

small-orange-research-tube-32355073CRMD-005 is a proprietary form of Taurolidine, an anti-microbial currently used to prevent infections in catheters. A safe product that causes very few side-effects, Taurolidine is also being studied as a treatment for cancer.

The new research effort will begin with pre-clinical studies to demonstrating its role in immunotherapy on pediatric cancer models in the laboratory. Laboratory studies show that Taurolidine is capable of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells at concentrations of 100 times lower that that which is needed for the drug’s antibiotic activity, suggesting the drug’s high tolerability (the degree to which overt adverse effects of a drug can be tolerated by a patient).

Working with POETIC physicians and scientists, Dr. Aru Narendran will lead the pre-clinical efforts, which will involve further defining Taurolidine’s potential role in treating pediatric cancers, especially in relapsed and drug-resistant cancers. It will also involve identifying the best drugs to combine with Taurolidine to plan for and test in future clinical trials.

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Dr. Aru Narendran will lead the pre-clinical research effort to better understand the effect of Taurolidine on pediatric cancer.

“Our goals are to better elucidate Taurolidine’s mechanism effects and leverage its history of safety to maximize its anti-neoplastic potential in an intelligent and efficient manner,” said Dr. Narendran, a Kids Cancer Care-funded researcher in the Experimental and Applied Therapeutics Research effort at the Children’s Cancer Research Program at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and University of Calgary.

The program will involve collaboration with several National Cancer Institute centers that are part of the POETIC group, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Weill Cornell Medical Center, Alberta Children’s Hospital, and other top tier cancer centers of excellence.

To read more about this research effort, visit CorMedix Inc.

POETIC is a network of pediatric oncologists and researchers from 10 top-tier academic medical research centers, who are collaborating across institutions to bring promising new therapies into phase one and phase two clinical trials for children with cancer.

CorMedix is a bio-pharmaceutical company that develops and brings to market therapeutic agents to prevent and treat infectious and inflammatory disease.


POETIC recognizes Kids Cancer Care with Partner of Distinction Award

POETIC recently recognized Kids Cancer Care’s contribution to childhood cancer research with a prestigious POETIC Partner of Distinction Award. The award recognizes our ongoing support of Dr. Aru Narendran and his research team at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the University of Calgary. Dr. Narendran is an Experimental and Applied Therapeutics researcher at the Childhood Cancer Research Program. The only Canadian member of POETIC, Dr. Narendran is currently the lead investigator in three phase one POETIC clinical trials.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“When Erik relapsed three years ago with AML, a bone marrow transplant was his only hope for survival. Brent was a perfect match and the stem cells they extracted from his bone marrow saved Erik’s life. We are so filled with gratitude for Brent and his kind, generous heart. We are thrilled to finally find him; it’s like our families have been matched now.” ~ Carol Gracia

Although Paul and Carol have never met Brent Lewelling before, the young man from Beaumont, Texas saved their son Erik’s life in 2012 when he was battling acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a high-risk cancer of the blood not often found in children.

“It was critical that we find a donor,” says Erik’s father Paul Gracia. “If we hadn’t found the perfect match, Erik wouldn’t have survived.”

A 20-year-old college student at the time, Brent was Erik’s perfect match. He underwent surgery to have stem cells harvested from his bone marrow to donate to Erik.

“They told me there was a little boy who needed my stem cells and asked me if I was still interested in donating,” said the now 23-year-old Lewelling, who is a father himself today. “I immediately felt this pull and felt like I needed and wanted to do this, so of course, I said, ‘Yes! When do you need me?’”

erikOriginally diagnosed with AML when he was two years old, Erik underwent months of intense chemotherapy before going into remission. He enjoyed two cancer-free years and just as the Gracias were beginning to feel that he was out of harm’s way, he relapsed. This time, his only hope for survival was a stem cell transplant, which Brent made possible.

The bone marrow transplant was a life-saving, game-changer for Erik, who has been healthy ever since.

“When the agency called to say the boy’s family wanted to make contact, they said it may take over six months to actually hear from them; the Gracias called two days later,” Brent laughs. “It was so great to get that call. My mother has never stopped asking if I’d heard from that little boy and his family. It is such a blessing and joy to know that Erik is so strong and healthy today. Mom says I’ve always had such a strong immune system, because I never get sick; now Erik has my immunity too.”

Apparently, Brent Lewelling was an ideal donor. Studies show that donations from healthy young men like Brent, between the ages of 17 and 35, lead to improved overall survival in patients and lower rates of graft versus host disease (GvHD) for patients, so they are more likely to be chosen to donate by transplant physicians. GvHD is a condition where donor-derived blood cells see the patient’s body as foreign and so triggers an immune response, leading to serious complications.

Erik was fortunate to experience no complications or rejection issues after the transplant and, today, he is a healthy, active nine-year-old boy who loves sports. He and Brent experienced an instant bond and, during the five-day visit last July, the Gracia and Lewelling families enjoyed site-seeing tours around the province, including a trip to Banff and a backstage tour of the Grandstand Show at the Calgary Stampede. Erik was glued to Brent’s side during the entire visit. He calls Brent Superman Bone Marrow.

“Brent has shown me how to make a difference in the lives of others,” says Erik. “He’s also shown me how to give love to others who need it. Brent is part of our family now.”

“It is wonderful to see Erik and his family bonding with Brent and his family,” says Dr. Faisal Khan, an associate professor in the departments of pediatrics, and pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine investigating donor matching systems to improve outcomes for patients. “But the foundation of this bonding was actually laid in 2012, when Erik welcomed Brent’s stem cells into his body and Brent’s stem cells helped Erik to get rid of the unwanted cancer cells. This strong bond between the two of them, that we in the outside world are seeing today, has in fact, existed inside Erik’s body for the past three years. This fact itself speaks to the importance of donor matching.”

“Reunions like this are rare and they inspire us to continue to build a stem cell registry that reflects the needs of patients in Canada and all over the world,” says Dr. Dana Devine, chief medical and scientific officer, Canadian Blood Services. “This reunion is a testament to the collaborative relationships that exist with our international partners and with our Canadian transplant and research communities to ultimately improve patient outcomes.”

To that end, Canadian Blood Services focuses on recruiting young men between the ages of 17 and 35 to their adult stem cell registry and expectant mothers through the Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank.

To register with Canadian Blood Services’ One Match Stem Cell and Marrow Network visit blood.ca. Registrants must be in good health and be 17 to 35 years old. They must be willing to donate to any patient in need anywhere in the world and have Canadian health care coverage.

 

On June 7, 2016, the University of Calgary awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree to Christine McIver, our founder and chief executive officer, for her outstanding service to children and families affected by childhood cancer.The honorary PhD is the University of Calgary’s highest academic honour and recognizes individuals whose achievements and community service deserve acknowledgment. Kids Cancer Care would not be able to serve Alberta children and families without you and your ongoing support, so we consider the honour a mutual honour, shared with you. After receiving the honorary degree, Christine gave the convocation address to thousands of students graduating from the faculties of education, social work and environmental design. You can view Christine’s acceptance speech here.

It’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, so what does pediatric cancer really look like? The Huffington Post captures stories and portraits from several young patients.

In honour of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, a generous donor has agreed to match ANY and ALL donations made in the month of September. We encourage you to go online and donate today. Double your gift, double your impact.

Thank you for caring about children with cancer.

The country cutie has buzzed off her locks in a show of solidarity to her best friend, Summer Holt Miller, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in June. Pickler refers to Miller as her sister and decided to undergo the hair buzzing in Nashville alongside Miller.

 
Pickler took to Twitter afterwards and called the experience “one of the most incredible days of my life.” She has also coined herself as Miller’s cancer buddy and stated that no one should “walk through the valley alone.”
 
Here is the video from the emotional shave day.
 
Here is a clip from the Ellen Show: 
 
A message from Kids Cancer Care
Shaving your head in  support of cancer is so much more than raising money. It’s about showing that you care and supporting those that don’t have a choice in losing their hair. It makes these people feel as though they are not alone. Some times this can be all they need to have the hope and strength to fight and beat cancer. For all of you who have shaved or cut and donated your hair, thank you!

Canadian luge athlete Arianne Jones received a motivational boost on the road to achieving her Olympic dream on Thursday, November 1st. With her sights on Sochi 2014, Jones spent the morning at the track trimming her locks, while giving and receiving inspiration alongside the Kids Cancer Care community.

Encouraged by 12-year-old youth luge athlete Sam Judson, who trimmed her hair for charity last year, Calgary’s pint-sized 22-year-old Jones decided to lend a foot of her locks and raise money for Kids Cancer Care too. Jones plans to donate the hair to Angel Hair for Kids who provides wigs at no cost to children who lose their hair to cancer or other diseases.
 
“As an athlete you become so focused on the day-to-day highs and lows along the journey to achieving your Olympic dreams, so it is easy to lose perspective on the real challenges in life that others are facing,” said Jones. She and Judson established an immediate connection with Judson, someone she handed used equipment down to, as they are both tiny in stature.
 
“To see my young teammate, and someone I was helping along, be so tuned in to the adversities of these incredible children who have battled cancer made me realize that to truly represent Canada, I have to do more than just compete. I believe the true spirit of being an Olympian realizes itself when you leverage your privileged position as a role model to positively impact others, while bringing awareness to important causes like Kids Cancer Care.”
 
As is the case with far too many Canadians, the connection to cancer also exists within the luge community.
 
Calgary luger and cancer survivor, 12-year-old Chris Rowell emceed the event, introducing Jones to an enthusiastic audience of teens. Samantha Andres, whose battle scars with cancer include an amputated leg, shared her story of triumph and adversity before joining Rowell and Judson at the start line to make the first cut in Jones’ waist-length hair.
 
“It is events like today that encourage other young kids like myself to fight and believe they too will achieve their goals of getting healthy,” said Rowell. “Many of us understand how hard it must be to have cancer, but big-hearted people like Arianne, along with organizations like Kids Cancer Care, allow us to forget about our disease for a few hours and for that I am grateful. Lucky for me, I am fully recovered. Now I feel like I can give back, and have committed to raising money to help make battling cancer a little easier for other children.”
 
Following an inspirational presentation that culminated with getting the most memorable haircut of her life, Jones and a group of her Olympic teammates gave the kids a luge demonstration before giving them a chance to hop on a sled and take a trip down the icy chute themselves. 
“Part of my goal in doing this was to inspire these kids and give them a little hope, but I am blown away by their strength, positive attitude and outlook on life and sport,” said Jones. “As a result, I assure you the big learning in all of this is I am the one who is leaving here today most inspired. I’m more motivated now than ever to chase my dreams having witnessed first hand the extraordinary challenges these kids face. They will have a special seat on my sled with me as we slide closer to Sochi.”
 
Jones’ journey towards achieving her Olympic dream continues November 24-25 when the World Cup season kicks off in Igls, Austria. Canada will play host to the 2013 World Championships at the Whistler Sliding Centre, February 1-2, 2013.
 
In addition to donating her hair, Arianne also raised over $2,500 for Kids Cancer Care.  Watch the video from the event here.

Kids Cancer Care is proud to announce that 98.5 Virgin Radio will be the official radio sponsor of the Shave Your Lid for a Kid program! Virgin Radio and their team bring an enthusiasm that makes us SO fortunate to work with them. Stay tuned for social media shave announcements and on-air shave updates from the 98.5 Virgin Radio Street Team and to hear our new shave advertisements. 


“It’s stories like Alex’s, featured in our new shave 
commercials, that make our team at Virgin Radio SO proud and excited to be part of Kids Cancer Care’s Shave a Lid for a Kid Campaign! We attended our first shave at Elboya School last April, and once the buzz from the clippers died down, 42 kids and seven teachers were rockin’ slick new do’s. Even more exciting is that they raised $57,000 to help send kids to camp and to fund life-saving research. The excitement in Elboya’s gym that day was contagious, with teachers and students decked out in crazy wigs in support of their friends taking the plunge and shaving their lids. We can’t wait to join the party!”–
Cathy L’HenaffSenior Writer and Fashion Blogger at 98.5 Virgin Radio


“CJAY 92, Classic Country AM 1060 and 98.5 Virgin Radio were so honoured to team with Kids Cancer Care over two years ago as friends, partners and fundraising champions. Our next challenge is to make the Shave Your Lid for a Kid program bigger, better and more successful than ever before.  We look forward to meeting shave participants, celebrating survivors and helping victims of Childhood Cancer move forward with Hope.” 
Angie Beers, Creative and Production Director and Kids Cancer Care Liaison.

Yesterday we released our brand new Shave Your Lid for a Kid video in front of hundreds of students at Nellie McClung School. The video stars students from Nellie McClung School and O.S. Geiger School, as they lose their locks for childhood cancer!

We created the video to revitalize the shave program and spread the message that KIDS CAN make a difference and that KIDS CAN beat cancer!

Watch the video here

HELP US spread the word! It only takes a second and it will cost you nothing. But it could change a child’s life forever. YOU CAN make a difference.

  1. Tweet this message on Twitter: If #kidscan, YOU can! Pls watch this video http://bit.ly/o4ITkN & RT. It could inspire others 2 help & change a child’s life; and
  2. Post this message on Facebook: With your help, KIDS CAN beat cancer. Please share this video and spread the word that YOU CAN be the difference. YOU CAN help a child with cancer today: http://www.kidscancercare.ab.ca/shave_your_lid_for_a_kid.htm.
Share the video with 5 people and someone may be inspired to shave their head for children with cancer. The money raised could send a child with cancer to camp.Share it with 100 people and 50 people may be inspired to help. The money they raise could help save a child’s life.
Thanks for your help,
 
Kids Cancer Care

PS. You can read about the video launch here:

Thank you to our generous fundraising partners who make our programs and services possible