News

Toretsky and Uren Lab Members Join Nathan’s Cancer Slayers at Pupatella Pizza

August, 2023

Current and former members of the Toretsky and Uren research labs gathered together on Wednesday, August 31st 2023 at Pupatella Pizzeria to honor Nathan and  kick off the Million Mile 2023 Fundraiser Campaign. 

In 2022, Nathan's Cancer Slayers made an unbelievable impact. Surpassing fundraising goals twice over for the third year in a row and raising nearly $122,000! Since launching Nathan's team in May 2020, we've raised an unbelievable $303,286 to fight childhood cancer in Nathan's honor. We are so proud of the amazing work we've accomplished, and are ready to do it again this year and continue on in Nathan's memory. 

This year, Nathan's Cancer Slayers is proud to team up with Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center again! All funds our team raises will support the research of Nathan's oncologist, Dr. Jeffrey Toretsky and Dr. Aykut Uren at Georgetown. Their team is working tirelessly to find a cure for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive pediatric cancer that grows in muscle cells and which took away Nathan's ability to see, hear, chew and walk. Their novel approach targeting the fusion protein that causes cancer has already shown promising results in the lab and could lead to new targeted drug therapies for the most common childhood sarcoma in more than 30 years.

For more information about Nathan's story and the continuing efforts of Nathan's Cancer Slayer's, please click here Nathan’s Cancer Slayers 2023 

David Allegakoen appointed T32 recipient for the 2023-2024 academic year

July, 2023

We are excited to announce the return of David Allegakoen to the Toretsky Lab as a Doctoral Student candidate in the Tumor Biology program. In addition, David has been appointed a T32 fellowship for the 2023-2024 academic year.

David's previous tenure in the lab includes success as a Masters Student and Research Assistant under the guidance of Dr. Aykut Uren.

In addition to tuition and stipend support, T32 trainees are eligible to receive up to $800 in travel support to scientific conferences and $4200 for other training related expenses.

Congratulations David!

Congratulations to, Jeff Petro and Team Georgetown Lombardi The 2023 Hyundai Hands On Hope Contest

January, 2023

Team Georgetown Lombardi, which included Jeff Petro, Emre Deniz and Alan Zwart, won this year’s Hyundai Hands on Hope contest at the Washington, DC Auto Show.

The trio secured a $60,000 pediatric cancer research grant for Georgetown Lombardi from the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers when Petro picked the key that started the contest’s Hyundai IONIQ5 SE (which he will take home). All three had successfully remained in contact with the car for 44 hours.

Runner-up Children’s National received a $40,000 research grant.

Our thanks to the generosity of the Washington Area Hyundai Dealers and Kevin Reilly, owner of Alexandria Hyundai.

More information on the 2023 contest may be found here 2023 Hands on Hope Contest and additional information about the Hyundai Hope on Wheels Foundation

Opening of Phase 1b Expansion Cohort of Clinical Trial of TK216 

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2019-- Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONCT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel oncology therapies, today announced that it has opened for enrollment a Phase 1b expansion cohort of its ongoing clinical trial evaluating TK216, a first-in-class, targeted, investigational small-molecule inhibitor of the E26 transformation-specific (ETS) family of oncoproteins, in patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma.

The decision to open an expansion cohort was based on favorable interim results from the dose-finding cohort of the trial, including a deep and sustained clinical response reported for one of the patients treated at the current, highest exposure dose regimen, who is without evidence of Ewing sarcoma after more than eight months on study and has tolerated treatments with TK216, alone and in combination with vincristine, well. TK216 has been generally well tolerated in this trial. Dose limiting toxicities consisted of transient and manageable myelosuppression, primarily neutropenia.

The expansion cohort will further evaluate the recommended Phase 2 dose regimen of TK216 (200 mg/m2/day for 14 days) in combination with vincristine and is anticipated to enroll approximately 18 patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing sarcoma.

“We are encouraged by the initial clinical activity demonstrated by TK216 in the dose-finding portion of this clinical trial in patients with relapsed/refractory Ewing sarcoma and look forward to further evaluating the recommended Phase 2 dose regimen of TK216 in a larger number of patients with this devastating disease,” said James Breitmeyer, M.D., Ph.D., Oncternal’s President and CEO. “This first-in-class targeted investigational agent may also be applicable in other malignancies driven by ETS alterations including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and prostate cancer, which we continue to explore in preclinical studies.” Full Press Release and Additional Information

The 35th Annual Childrens Cancer Foundation Gala was held Saturday, November 2nd, 2019 where more than 500 individuals joined CCF and Mark Viviano, as emcee,  and recognized Extraordinary Families – children and their families who have endured, fought, overcome, grieved and persevered in spite of this life-changing diagnosis. Two amazing young people – Darren Leonard and Grace Callwood – were featured with their families in a video played during the program. Many other children that evening were presented with medals, recognizing the battles they have overcome with having a diagnosis of cancer.

CCF also granted awards to nine area researchers, including the 4th Annual Fore 3 Fellowship Award to Dr. Jeffrey Toretsky, MD,  and to several programs and facilities making significant differences in the lives of these children, totalling nearly $1 million.

Case Study of TK216 in Ewing Sarcoma:  Achieved Sustained Response

Sep. 17, 2019-- Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONCT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel oncology therapies, today announced that Paul A. Meyers, M.D., Chief, Pediatric Sarcoma Service and Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, presented a case study of a patient with Ewing sarcoma who achieved a sustained response following treatment with Oncternal’s investigational product candidate, TK216, in an ongoing Phase 1, first-in-human clinical trial. The presentation entitled, “TK216 for the Treatment of Ewing Sarcoma,” was given at the Fall Children’s Oncology Group (COG) Meeting.

Returning summer researcher, Sydney Parks, received a 2019 St. Baldrick's Summer Fellow Award  aiding to fund a summer research project. Through the St. Baldrick’s Summer Fellowship, Sydney began cloning common EWS-FLI1 (EF) mutants into a tetracycline-inducible plasmid previously generated by Garrett Graham. In the future, a library of such plasmids can be expressed in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to investigate hMSC transformation into ES-like cells following EF expression. Sydney is currently a senior at Rice University studying Biochemistry and Cell Biology. 

This grant funds an undergraduate student to complete work in pediatric oncology research for the summer. The experience may encourage them to choose childhood cancer research as a specialty. Ewing Sarcoma (ES) is an aggressive pediatric cancer.