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UTHSCSA
a key focus of the GCCRI. These fusion proteins often act as tran-
scription factors that regulate positively or negatively many hundreds
of genes. These translocation events are extremely rare, and the un-
derlying mechanism for their causation is poorly understood, how-
ever they are highly efficient in causing transformation to cancer, and
probably account for the short latency of some childhood cancers.
a Focused Mission
With Dr. Houghton at the helm, the GCCRI has taken on a very
specific focus on processes that lead to cancer and on developing
novel therapeutics targeting cancer drivers in pediatric cancers, and
is adding faculty and staff toward this mission. The GCCRI is cur-
rently comprised of eleven faculty members, with two new re-
searchers coming on board this fall. All are PhD or MD/PhD and
include specialists in hematology-oncology, genetics and the broad
spectrum of the DNA/RNA processes, epidemiology, computational
biology and bioinformatics, molecular medicine and biology, cellular
and structural biology, biochemistry and a host of related sciences.
The GCCRI has six central programs in various stages of devel-
opment: Bioinformatics, which focuses on genetic changes that lead
to cancer and is important to all the research programs; Cancer
Control, which focuses on current treatments and reducing health
disparities in children, as well as improving long-term outcomes;
Cancer Genetics, with a specific focus on cancers more prevalent in
the Hispanic population in south Texas; Experimental Therapeutics,
which aims to use pre-clinical models and other tools to more effi-
ciently evaluate novel therapies, and to elucidate mechanisms of
drug resistance or sensitivity; Molecular Oncogenesis, to identify
and characterize the genes, gene products, and pathways involved
in pediatric cancers, recognizing results will have implications to all
cancers; Drug Discovery, the Pediatric Drug Discovery Initiative
(PDDI). The latter will build on programs of excellence already es-
tablished here to create new capabilities for target identification
unique in Texas, bringing together experimental scientists from
other centers and departments in the School of Medicine and the
Health Science Center as well as other universities in Texas.
We truly are in a new era of cancer research and discovery. Just
last month at Georgetown University, the first child began a phase
1 clinical trial to test a drug specifically developed to treat Ewing
Sarcoma. The new agent works to inhibit the oncogenic fusion pro-
tein characteristic of Ewing sarcoma that regulates DNA replication
and cell proliferation. This therapy has a tremendous potential to
stop this cancer at the molecular level with little to no ancillary tox-
DEAN’S MESSAGE
icity and hopefully the clinical trials will be positive.
Dr. Houghton and his team are watching this phase 1 trial very
closely as it is very much the type of treatment they are focused on.
In a study co-authored by Dr. Houghton, in vivo and in vitro mod-
els demonstrated a distinct reduction in vascularization of Ewing
sarcoma cells. Entitled “The Bromodomain BET Inhibitor JQ1
Suppresses Tumor Angiogenesis in Models of Childhood Sarcoma”,
the promising study was published in the May 2016 issue of Mo-
lecular Cancer Therapeutics.
GCCRI researcher Patricia Rosa de Araujo, PhD, describes the
potential to address brain tumors (and other cancer cells) that may
be resistant to radiation therapy in the July 2016 issue of The Amer-
ican Journal of Pathology. The article, “Musashi1 Impacts Radio-
Resistance in Glioblastoma by Controlling DNA-Protein Kinase
Catalytic Subunit”, details how they induced a reduction in cell pro-
duction by knocking out the stem cell-related RNA-binding protein
Musashi1 (MSI1). The research team led by Araujo, included
Aparna Gorthi, PhD, from the Department of Cellular and Molec-
ular Biology, as well as researchers from the Harvard School of Public
Health and the University of Southern California.
The GCCRI also has a monthly speaker series with guests from
around the country. On Nov. 4, 2016, Melinda Merchant,
MD/PhD, formerly of the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the
National Cancer Institute (NCI), will discuss “Immunotherapy for
Pediatric Solid Tumors.”
On Dec. 2, 2016, Peter McKinnon, PhD, from the Genetics De-
partment at St. Jude Children’s Hospital will present “Integrity mat-
ters: Genome integrity and neurologic disease.” All presentations are
held in the first floor auditorium from 11 a.m. to noon.
The GCCRI is the largest free-standing children’s cancer research
center in Texas. Dr. Houghton describes it as a think-tank of high-
powered intellectuals acutely focused on very specific cellular
processes that result in children’s cancer. I describe this institute as
a gift to a world that wants fewer cancers in children, as well as the
new age of deeper genetic science that will most likely benefit all
cancer patients and research.
To learn more about the GCCRI, visit their website at
www.ccri.uthscsa.edu.
Francisco González-Scarano, Dean, School of Medicine,
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs
University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio
Professor of Neurology
visit us at www.bcms.org 33