Penn State advances pediatric cancer research through new targeted therapy collaboration
Penn State College of Medicine is advancing its commitment to cutting-edge cancer research and early-phase clinical trials through a new collaboration aimed at accelerating a promising targeted therapy for pediatric brain[...]
Penn State’s Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium welcomes SJD Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona, strengthening global leadership in pediatric cancer research
The Pediatric Cancer Center Barcelona (PCCB) at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu has become the first center outside North America to join the Beat Childhood Cancer (BCC) Research Consortium, an international pediatric cancer research[...]
Penn State College of Medicine, Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium and Four Diamonds launch clinical trial that aims to combat solid tumors
In a step toward fighting solid tumors in children and young adults, Penn State College of Medicine, the Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium and Four Diamonds, along with Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. are launching a pioneering clinical[...]
Q&A: Finding novel therapies for childhood cancer
Since the first time she treated a child with neuroblastoma, Giselle Saulnier Sholler wanted to do the impossible for her patients. Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children with[...]
FDA approves pediatric neuroblastoma drug based on Penn State professor’s work
Giselle Saulnier Sholler, professor of pediatrics and of pharmacology, reflects on 20 years working to change cancer outcomes for children HERSHEY, Pa. — In 2003, the first year of her[...]
US WorldMeds Announces FDA Approval of IWILFIN™ (eflornithine) to Strengthen Fight Against Aggressive Childhood Cancer
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USWM, LLC (US WorldMeds) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved IWILFIN™ (eflornithine) 192 mg tablets, a groundbreaking oral maintenance therapy for high-risk[...]
Penn State Health recruits leading researcher to fight pediatric cancer
Cris Collingwood//August 2, 2023 An internationally known physician-scientist and her research consortium have joined Penn State Health to continue efforts to eradicate pediatric cancer. Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine[...]
The Power of Will
Will Lacey was just a baby when doctors diagnosed a rare form of cancer and told his family there was only one end. Nobody then could imagine the journey ahead,[...]
Michigan Child Trials Target Genetic Roots of Cancers
Thank you Detroit News for featuring a story about the work we are doing. It wouldn’t be possible without the support of Dell, TGen Foundation and our generous community. Together,[...]
Research: Beat Childhood Cancer
The Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium is a group of 54+ universities and children's hospitals
Congratulations to our team on the publication of "Precision Medicine Directed Therapy Enabling Long-Term Survival in Medulloblastoma: A Case Report" in Frontiers in Oncology. This report highlights the power of precision medicine, molecular tumor board-guided treatment decisions, and targeted therapies in achieving long-term survival for a child with relapsed medulloblastoma. The patient remains disease-free nine years after relapse, demonstrating the potential impact of individualized, genomics-driven care.
We are especially proud to recognize Laura Vazquez and Jonathan Lerch as contributing authors on this publication. Laura began her journey with our team as a research intern and now serves as a Research Coordinator at Penn State, while Jonathan is a Research Technician in our POTR Lab. As both work toward their future goals of attending medical school, this publication reflects their dedication to pediatric cancer research and their passion for advancing treatments that improve outcomes for children with cancer.
📖 Read the publication: doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2026.1855992
#BeatChildhoodCancer #PediatricCancerResearch #PrecisionMedicine #FuturePhysicians #Medulloblastoma
Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium has announced the implementation of the WeTrials AI-powered patient engagement platform to help families discover, understand and engage with pediatric cancer clinical research opportunities across the consortium’s study portfolio.
The platform provides families with a centralized destination to explore Beat Childhood Cancer studies through simplified study information, personalized educational and support experiences, and AI-powered engagement tools designed to help families navigate the clinical research journey with greater confidence and understanding.
Families can access the platform at research.beatcc.org/hospitals-trials/
Here is the link to the full press release to read more: pennstatehealthnews.org/2026/07/beat-childhood-cancer-at-penn-state-college-of-medicine-launches-...
Even more improvements coming to the platform soon including interactive videos and much more!
This week, Dr. Michael Huang presented at the International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (IPSNO) Conference in Sydney, Australia, where he highlighted our actively enrolling clinical trial, BCC016.
This study is evaluating Eflornithine (DFMO) for children with molecular high-risk, very high-risk, and relapsed/refractory medulloblastoma.
“The 5-year survival rate for medulloblastoma, the most common childhood malignant brain tumor, is about 70%. Unfortunately, for the other 30% of children whose cancer recurs, the 5-year survival is close to zero. Our hope is that DFMO/Eflornithine can prevent relapse or further disease progression in patients with medulloblastoma who have poor molecular risk features.” - Dr. Michael Huang.
We’re proud to advance research that aims to bring hope to children and families facing this disease. 💛
BCC018, utilizing naxitamab, an anti-GD2 immunotherapy, is officially open to enrollment at both GRAACC Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil and Sant Joan de Déu (SJD) in Barcelona, Spain.
This marks an important milestone in global collaboration, expanding access to innovative therapies for children worldwide. By opening enrollment across international sites outside of North America, we can accelerate trial completion, generate critical answers sooner, and move promising treatments closer to the patients who need them most.
Our BCC Bioinformatician, Abhinav, attended the Data + AI Summit 2026 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco this week!
🚀 This conference, hosted by Databricks, brings together global leaders in data science, artificial intelligence, and analytics to share cutting-edge tools and real-world applications. From advancements in machine learning to scalable data platforms, these innovations are shaping the future of research.
We’re excited for him to bring back new insights on how bioinformatics and advanced data platforms like Databricks can accelerate pediatric cancer research, enhancing how we analyze complex genomic data, identify patterns, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.
A few weeks ago, we attended the American Society of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (ASPHO) 2026 Annual Conference, an organization dedicated to advancing education, research, and collaboration to improve outcomes for children with blood disorders and cancer.
We were proud to lead a national workshop on Collaborative Molecular Tumor Boards. The session focused on how genomic insights can directly inform and guide treatment decisions at the bedside.
The workshop brought together partners from Penn State, Caris Life Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Orlando Health Cancer Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin and Norton Children's, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing precision medicine through multidisciplinary collaboration. Despite being held on the final day of the conference, the session drew strong engagement and sparked thoughtful discussion around our case presentation.
In addition, our team presented three posters and hosted a booth, providing further opportunities to connect with and contribute to the pediatric oncology community.