Denise Parrish, Augusta University
Representatives with Hyundai Hope On Wheels presented a $400,000 Scholar Hope Grant to Dr. Theodore Johnson at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia to support pediatric brain cancer research at Augusta University’s Georgia Cancer Center.
Johnson and his research team are working to define the mechanisms that suppress the body’s immune response and allow tumor survival, so they can identify ways to counteract those processes and fortify the immune system to fight the tumor instead, according to a news release.
“This grant represents another critical pledge in our fight against pediatric brain tumors,” said Johnson, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Children’s Hospital of Georgia and co-director of the Pediatric Immunotherapy Program at the Georgia Cancer Center.
“This investigation is important, because the more we understand how these tumors quietly advance, the closer we will get to developing better treatments and therapies,” said Johnson, who is also a professor in Pediatrics and Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. “This could positively impact care for children with brain tumors by improving their quality of life.”
This is the fourth Hyundai grant awarded to Johnson, who, since 2011, has received a total of $925,000 in Hope On Wheels funding for pediatric immunotherapy studies. The current Scholar Hope Grant will fund research to measure the immune system’s activation and response to pediatric immunotherapy, the news release continued.
Hyundai Hope On Wheels is a nonprofit organization committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. It provides grants to eligible institutions nationwide that are pursuing critical research aimed at improving treatments and saving lives.
Hyundai Hope On Wheels is one of the largest nonprofit funders of pediatric cancer research in the country. Primary funding for the organization comes from Hyundai Motor America and its more than 830 U.S. dealers, the release said.
Since 1998, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has worked tirelessly to support the families, researchers, doctors and children affected by childhood cancer. This year, the nonprofit will surpass the $250 million mark in support of more than 1,300 childhood cancer research grants to over 175 hospitals and research institutions.
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