Author: Marcus Klüssendorf

The Hessenschau crew spent a whole day at the foundation’s own Dr Petra Joh Research Centre to take an in-depth look at the topic of cancer in children and young people. The result is a great report that focuses on the uniqueness of the foundation in the fight for better treatment options.

The programme shows how our scientists are working on research into cancer cells in order to specifically improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy and thereby not only increase the chances of recovery for children and young people with cancer, but also minimise the side effects of treatment.

We would like to thank everyone involved in the production of this programme, as well as the research teams at the Dr Petra Joh House, who are working tirelessly to improve cancer treatment for children and young people.

Our foundation, represented by Prof Dr Martin Michaelis and board member Uwe Menger, were recently guests in the studios of rheinmaintv.

In a lengthy interview, they emphasised the importance of cancer research in children and adolescents. Mr Menger from the perspective of an affected father and Prof Michaelis with a view to future developments in research.
Children are our future – so it is all the more important to give all children suffering from cancer a chance of a cure and a life without late effects.

Many thanks to the entire rheinmaintv team for making it possible to send this important message to all citizens.

Here is the link to the video. The foundation’s contribution starts at minute 6:30.

On International World Childhood Cancer Day, the Frankfurt Foundation for Children with Cancer presented itself in the Kaisersaal of the Frankfurt Römer. We were welcomed by Mayor Dr Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg, representing Lord Mayor Mike Josef. The recognition of our work by the City of Frankfurt am Main is both a great affirmation and motivation for us.

Under the motto “For one another. Together. Acting against cancer”, pupils and school management from Gymnasium Süd and IGS Süd, as well as artists from the Goldstein Academy (link), drew attention to research at the Dr Petra Joh House of the Frankfurt Foundation for Children with Cancer with a one-day exhibition on the ground floor of the town hall and in the foyer in front of the Kaisersaal on this year’s World Childhood Cancer Day.
One goal united all participants: a world in which all children suffering from cancer can be cured.

We are very grateful for the generous support we receive from our donors and sponsors, without whom our work would not be possible! A small selection can be seen in the photo. Link to the press release of the City of Frankfurt.

On the same day, an excellent report was broadcast on the Hessenschau television programme (link), which focuses on the uniqueness of the foundation in the fight for better treatment options.

The programme shows how our scientists are working on research into cancer cells in order to specifically improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy and thus not only increase the chances of recovery for children and young people with cancer, but also minimise the side effects of treatment.

We are happy to announce that Luca Nunzio Cifarelli, senior PhD student in the Institute for Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (EPHO) of the Goethe-University Frankfurt, has been granted a prestigious merit-based abstract achievement award by the American Society of Hematology (ASH) acknowledging his accomplishments as hematologist-in-training. Luca has been selected for oral presentation of the results of the project “TRIP13 Is a Fetal-Enriched Therapeutic Target in NUP98::JARID1A+ Pediatric Non-Down Syndrome AMKL” during the 65th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition which took place from December 9-12, 2023, in San Diego, California.

The study which is led by Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckl, Director of the EPHO, focused on the molecular mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangements as the main drivers of pediatric Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia in absence of Down syndrome (non-DS-AMKL) and potential underlying weaknesses, which could be exploited therapeutically. AMKL with NUP98::KDM5A rearrangement (aka. NUP98::JARID1A) accounts for approximately 15% of pediatric non-DS-AMKL cases and correlates with poor prognosis. Its frequent occurrence in infants (disease within 2 years post birth) implies a role of developmental stage-(i.e. fetal origin) dependent mechanisms in transformation and, indeed, the study highlights a more aggressive course of disease when initiated in fetal cells. Moreover, fetal gene expression programs are conserved in transformed cells. Aiming to therapeutically exploit this fetal origin, the study identified and characterized TRIP13 as a fetal-enriched NUP98::JARID1A-specific vulnerability, mechanistically acting through p53 regulation. The results of the project will contribute to the development of a mechanism-driven treatment approach with dual TRIP13/MDM2 inhibition as a potential new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of high-risk pediatric non-DS-AMKL.

If you are interested, you can find the abstract under this link.

Photo (f.l.): Mr. Prof. Olaf Heidenreich, Mr. Prof. Ani Deshpande, Mr. MSc Luca Nunzio Cifarelli

The Foundation for Children with Cancer (FF) warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckl as new endowed professor of Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (W3) of the Goethe-University Frankfurt at the Dr. Petra Joh Research House (PJH). The Foundation and the Goethe-University are convinced that the new professorship will emphasize the clinically-orientated research focus pursued by the FF at the PJH and adapt it to the requirements of innovative and translational cancer research, which is reflected in the new name of the Institute for Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (EPHO).

By combining state-of-the-art methods of transcriptomics, epigenomics and functional genomics in highly relevant model systems, the EPHO will investigate the fundamental molecular changes underlying cancerogenesis. The anticipated new findings will contribute to establish targeted, personalized therapeutic approaches. The complementarity of already existing (Vogler and van Wijk labs) and new research strategies (Heckl lab) within the EPHO, as well as the collaboration with the PJH-based Interdisciplinary Laboratory and the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, will contribute to significantly advance the field of pediatric hematology and oncology at the Goethe-University Frankfurt.

We are convinced that the appointment of Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckl will give new impulses to the field of pediatric cancer research, both at the Foundation as well as at the Goethe-University, and will contribute to finding a comprehensive cure for pediatric cancers.