Doctors at Children’s Hospital Boston are just another step closer to securing a cure for sickle cell disease thanks to a little help from some superstar friends. More than $1 million was raised in support of their research efforts on Sunday, January 15 during the “Play Without Pain: Children’s Sickle Cell Benefit,” a partnership with international megastar Celine Dion, Caesars Entertainment, AEG Live and Children’s Hospital Boston. Held at Caesars Palace, the evening included a performance of Celine Dion’s glamorous show directed by Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich, including a touching tribute to sickle cell victims during her rendition of Billy Joel’s “Lullabye.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/54153-celine-dion-play-without-pain-children-s-sickle-cell-benefit
A pill designed to zero in on abnormal genes that drive specific cancers has produced encouraging early results in children with an uncommon but aggressive type of lymphoma, as well as in children with a rare form of neuroblastoma.
A phase 1 clinical trial of the drug crizotinib achieved remissions, with minimal side effects, for 10 of the children participating in a clinical study carried out by the multicenter Children’s Oncology Group (COG). The results were “an exciting proof-of-principle” for the targeted treatment, said the study leader, Yaël P. Mossé, M.D., a pediatric oncologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
“We are entering a new era of cancer therapy, in which we use knowledge of basic biology to design very specific drugs that target cancer cells with potentially less side effects on healthy tissue,” said Mossé. “In addition, as we concentrate on targets in molecular pathways, we move away from an exclusive focus on one form of cancer to customizing treatments according to biological activity. Abnormal ALK activity occurs in subtypes of neuroblastoma and subtypes of lymphoma, so identifying ALK activity in individual patients may enable us to provide the most effective care.”
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/50776-childrens-hospital-philadelphia-lymphoma-neuroblastoma-oncology-gene-trial
Janssen Healthcare Innovation, a team within Janssen Research & Development, LLC (Janssen), today announced Discharge Decision Support System (D2S2) is the winner of the crowdsourcing-inspired Janssen Connected Care Challenge and the $100,000 prize. D2S2 is a discharge decision support system that uses a proprietary algorithm to assemble and score key data upon hospital admission in order to identify patients who should be referred to post-acute care services to reduce the risk of 30-day readmissions.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/56342-discharge-decision-support-system-janssen-connected-care-challenge
To speed progress against cancer and other diseases, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project today announced the largest-ever release of comprehensive human cancer genome data for free access by the global scientific community. The amount of information released more than doubles the volume of high-coverage, whole genome data currently available from all human genome sources combined. This information is valuable not just to cancer researchers, but also to scientists studying almost any disease.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/52993-st-jude-childrens-research-hospital-comprehensive-human-cancer-genome-data
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is launching a new series of public service announcements (PSAs) to help raise awareness and deepen the understanding of the hospital’s lifesaving mission through real St. Jude heroes – its patients and families. St. Jude has not produced national PSAs since 2003 and timed this new multichannel campaign to coincide with the hospital’s 50th anniversary.
The PSAs share St. Jude moments through patients and families like 10-year-old Angiel. Angiel and her mom Damaris were planning a trip to Africa for a family reunion when she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that produced tumors in both of Angiel’s legs. Today, thanks to St. Jude doctors, Angiel can still look forward to visiting family in a foreign land one day. Angiel’s story is just one of several patients featured in the PSAs.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/stjude/46749/
It was January 2012, Isaac dribbled the ball; shot it through the hoop, swish! This was a simple moment the 15-year-old athlete who once participated in cross country, soccer and basketball, thought he’d never experience again. Ten months earlier, Isaac was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He became a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and through extensive treatment and care, his cancer is in remission and he is able to play the sports he loves.
Chili’s® Grill & Bar is helping St. Jude patients like Isaac enjoy their own special, everyday moments through the brand’s ninth annual Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer campaign. Participating Chili’s restaurants nationwide and in Puerto Rico are joining in the fight against childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month and through Sept. 26, Chili’s guests can help the cause by donating at their local restaurants and online.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/57540-chili-s-create-a-pepper-for-st-jude
When Kayla Dehnert tells friends and family in Northern California about life as a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital patient, she pulls out a string of beads taller than she is.
Kayla, 8, of Novato, Calif., is one of hundreds of St. Jude patients who have participated in the hospital’s Legacy Bead program since its launch in 2009. The program offers patients and their families a tangible way to illustrate their journeys using 55 glass beads as unique as the children who collect them. Patients receive vivid green cylindrical beads for blood transfusions; sapphire round beads for lumbar punctures; tear-drop beads in assorted colors for homesickness; and blue, triangle-shaped beads for clinic visits. Other beads mark triumphs such as the completion of radiation or chemotherapy or challenges ranging from cancer’s return to the death of a friend.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58137-st-jude-legacy-bead-program-treatment-milestones-for-children
Researchers at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, formerly Children’s Memorial, are embarking on a pioneering study to understand the extent to which healing spaces promote health and healing during hospitalization. A major focal point of the study will be the Crown Sky Garden, a 5-thousand square foot garden on the 11th floor of the 23 story hospital. The garden, named in honor of Chicago’s philanthropic Crown family, includes dozens of bamboo trees, an interactive wall that changes colors as people walk by and carved benches made from trees planted by Frederick Law Olmsted (designer of the famed Central Park) for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58133-children-s-hospital-chicago-healing-spaces-study-crown-sky-garden
Research led by the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project has identified a fusion gene responsible for almost 30 percent of a rare subtype of childhood leukemia with an extremely poor prognosis.
The finding offers the first evidence of a mistake that gives rise to a significant percentage of acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL) cases in children. AMKL accounts for about 10 percent of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The discovery paves the way for desperately needed treatment advances.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58586-st-jude-children-s-research-hospital-gene-sequencing-childhood-leukemia
Phoenix Children’s Hospital announced the creation of the Ronald A. Matricaria Institute of Molecular Medicine today, with the goal to unlock genetic codes and develop drug therapies in real time to improve the outcome for thousands of young patients.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59399-phoenix-children-s-hospital-visionary-institute-of-molecular-medicine
Two beautiful baby girls had their public debut today at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia: Allison June and Amelia Lee Tucker, formerly conjoined twins, separated at the Hospital on Nov. 7. The Hospital held a press conference this morning to highlight this new phase in the lives of both infants.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59552-children-s-hospital-of-philadelphia-tucker-conjoined-twins-separated
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, uno de los principales centros de investigación y tratamiento del cáncer pediátrico se unió a Univision Radio, la mayor difusora de radio Hispana en los Estados Unidos, para realizar su evento radial anual Promesa y Esperanza®. Los radioyentes alrededor del país sintonizaron su estación favorita de Univision Radio el 7 y 8 de febrero y recaudaron más de $5.3 millones en efectivo y promesas monetarias. Los fondos recaudados ayudarán a cubrir los gastos de investigación y tratamiento del cáncer pediátrico y otras enfermedades terminales en los Estados Unidos, Puerto Rico y alrededor del mundo.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58260-st-jude-childrens-research-hospital-univision-radio-promesa-y-esperanza
