CPRIT Awards Research Grant to TTUHSC’s Reynolds

Funds to Aid Childhood, Adolescent Cancer Study

C Patrick Reylonds MD PhD

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in February announced a $1,196,214 grant to C. Patrick Reynolds, M.D., Ph.D., director for the School of Medicine Cancer Center at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC).

The grant, “GD2 Expression and Response to Chemoimmunotherapy in Neuroblastoma,” will provide funding for Reynolds’ ongoing investigations into the way cancer cells escape from therapy with antibodies that bind to GD2, for which preliminary data suggest the mechanism is loss of GD2 from the cancer cells. Dinutuximab, an antibody binding to GD2, can enhance chemoimmunotherapy both in patients and in preclinical models.

Neuroblastoma is the most common cancer outside of the brain in infants and young children and is challenging to treat, especially in patients that relapse after initial therapy. GD2 is a complex molecule highly expressed on neuroblastoma cells and is a target for successfully treating tumors.

“Children with cancer, both in Texas and beyond are fortunate that CPRIT has made funding childhood cancer a priority,” Reynolds said. “This recent grant from CPRIT will enable us to understand how tumor cells escape therapy with an antibody that is effective at treating neuroblastoma. The grant also supports our laboratory here at TTUHSC in analyzing clinical samples from across the U.S. and Canada from patients with neuroblastoma to assess the amount of antibody that binds to their tumor cells.”

Reynolds, a University Distinguished Professor, also directs the South Plains Cancer Consortium and the Childhood Oncology Group Childhood Cancer Repository, powered by Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation. The repository, based at TTUHSC, collects, preserves and distributes validated childhood cancer cell lines to researchers around the world who are investigating childhood cancer.

Related Stories

Willed Body Memorial Service Honors Those Who Donated

On Memorial Day each May, a service is conducted at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Institute of Anatomical Sciences to pay respect to the Willed Body Program donors and their families.

Molecular Pathology Preceptorship: Unmatched Value and Experience

Ericka Hendrix, PhD, MB(ASCP)CM, Program Director and Associate Professor in the Master of Science in Molecular Pathology program in the School of Health Professions spoke about the program’s preceptorship.

Moseley Named Permian Basin Regional Dean of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing

Kelly Moseley, DHSc, R.N., has been named the TTUHSC School of Nursing regional dean in the Permian Basin.

Recent Stories

Research

TTUHSC Teams Selected for 2025 Innosphere Life Sciences Accelerator Cohort

A pair of teams representing TTUHSC earned a spot among the 33 startup groups selected for the 2025 cohort of the Innosphere Life Sciences Accelerator.

Research

Exploring New Frontiers in Patient Care

Jenna Kesey, Ph.D., associate managing director for the Clinical Research Institute (CRI) at TTUHSC, said it's important that the university provides opportunities for its patients to have access to innovative therapies through the clinical trial process.

Willed Body Memorial Service Honors Those Who Donated

On Memorial Day each May, a service is conducted at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Institute of Anatomical Sciences to pay respect to the Willed Body Program donors and their families.