ATLANTA - Aug 2, 2010 - Curing Kids' Cancer today awarded a $40,000 grant to ground-breaking pediatric cancer research being conducted at the University of Maryland.
 
The research is being conducted under the direction of Dr. Xiaochun Chen and Professor Curt Civin, and involves recently discovered "microRNAs," tiny snippets of RNA (ribonucleic acid) that until recently were thought of merely as "molecular sawdust."
 
In fact, Dr. Civin's research shows that by replacing or increasing the microRNAs in leukemia cells they can be prevented from reproducing and eventually they die off. In their exciting research to be supported by Curing Kids' Cancer, they propose to use "high-throughput screening" techniques to identify chemicals that can raise the levels of these two microRNAs in human leukemia cells. They hope that such chemicals will serve as new anti-leukemia medicines, and that this might provide a new standard in cancer therapies.
 
 "Dr. Civin and Dr. Chen are pioneers in pediatric cancer research," said Grainne Owen, founder of Curing Kids' Cancer. "This cutting-edge research will bring us closer to our mission of finding cures for pediatric cancers in our lifetime."
 
"I am honored and most pleased that the Curing Kids' Cancer has selected our project for funding, "said Dr. Civin. "I believe that the scientific reviewers selected this project because it is a scientifically "way cool" idea that is medically exciting in its potential impact against childhood cancer."
 
Dr. Civin became well known and earned the 1999 National Inventor of the Year Award and the 2009 Landsteiner Award for his groundbreaking scientific discovery in 1984 of a method for isolating stem cells from other blood cells, a critical step in studying them and for transplanting these cells into patients.
 
Grainne Owen and her husband Clay founded Curing Kids' Cancer after losing their son Killian to leukemia in 2003 at age nine. Since that time, the non-profit has donated in excess of $1 million to pediatric cancer research.
 
Curing Kids' Cancer has two national grassroots programs - Coaches Curing Kids' Cancer and Teachers Curing Kids' Cancer. Both programs urge parents and children to donate money to pediatric cancer research in the name of their coach or teacher rather than buying gifts. Details of the programs are available at www.curingkidscancer.org.