Home page stories

Read recent Home Page stories. Click on the links to the left to see past stories.

 
11/12/2009
Research reveals lipid’s unexpected role in triggering death of brain cells

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists lead effort that reveals new details linking lipid build-up with catastrophic calcium imbalance in brain cells of patients with rare, inherited disorder.

 
 
10/27/2009
Perilous precursors

St. Jude scientists identify a completely new and deadly subtype of leukemia that arises from early T-cell precursors. The discovery allows early detection and therapeutic intervention to improve the outcome for children with this form of drug-resistant leukemia.

 
 
10/27/2009
St. Jude named top 10 best places to work by The Scientist magazine

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been listed among the top 10 “Best Places to Work in Academia” by The Scientist magazine—this year’s seventh place ranking is the fourth straight year the institution has placed in the top 10.

 
 
10/21/2009
Math-A-Thon helps students improve math skills while helping St. Jude

Join thousands of schools around the country taking part in the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Math-A-Thon® program during the 2009 – 2010 school year. Register by November 13, 2009, and your school will be entered into a drawing to win a free $50 Target gift card.

 
 
10/19/2009
New chromosomal abnormality identified in leukemia associated with Down syndrome

Researchers identified a new chromosomal abnormality in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that appears to work in concert with another mutation to give rise to cancer. This latest anomaly is particularly common in children with Down syndrome.

 
 
10/12/2009
Immune cell entry is key to understanding origins of type 1 diabetes

St. Jude investigators have discovered how destructive immune cells gain access to insulin-producing cells and help cause diabetes.

 
 
10/12/2009
Two St. Jude faculty elected to Institute of Medicine

Michael Kastan, MD, PhD, and Mary Relling, PharmD, of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, have been elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), a prestigious branch of the National Academy of Sciences.

 
 
10/05/2009
St. Jude marks 25th year of cancer survivors clinic

Adults who survived childhood cancer return to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to celebrate victory over disease and mark the After Completion of Therapy (ACT) Clinic’s 25th anniversary.

 
 
09/29/2009
St. Jude investigators look to cancer genome for new diagnostic and treatment tools

Advances in diagnosis and treatment mean more children are living longer with cancer than ever before, with about 270,000 childhood cancer survivors alive today nationwide. Despite these advances, cancer remains the leading cause of death due to disease among U.S. children over one year of age.

 
 
09/21/2009
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia – a modern cancer success story

Advances in diagnosis and treatment mean more children are living longer with cancer than ever before, with about 270,000 childhood cancer survivors alive today nationwide. Despite these advances, cancer remains the leading cause of death due to disease among U.S. children over one year of age.

 
 
09/15/2009
St. Jude spotlights successes and challenges of childhood cancer

Advances in diagnosis and treatment mean more children are living longer with cancer than ever before, with about 270,000 childhood cancer survivors alive today nationwide. Despite these advances, cancer remains the leading cause of death due to disease among U.S. children over one year of age.

 
 
09/10/2009
Evan Pertile: A reason to smile

Where would two physicians turn if their son had a brain tumor? One couple found world-class treatment—as well as their son’s trademark smile—at St. Jude.

 
 
09/08/2009
Lance Fletcher: The battle to rebuild

Lance Fletcher and his dad fought a war on two fronts. Now that their family is reunited and Lance’s osteosarcoma is in remission, the Fletchers concentrate on constructing a future.

 
 
09/01/2009
Time to 'Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer'

Now through September 30, Chili’s® Grill & Bar restaurants around the country will observe National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month by inviting guests to support the mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during the sixth annual Create-A-Pepper to Fight Childhood Cancer campaign.

 
 
09/01/2009
Hope beyond U.S. borders

St. Jude collaborates with 16 partner sites in Europe, Africa, Asia and Central and South America through the International Outreach Program (IOP). The goal in this effort is to improve survival rates worldwide through the sharing of knowledge, technology and organizational skills.

 
 
08/25/2009
The final frontier

For some, space may be the final frontier. But strange new worlds can also be found on a molecular level.

 
 
08/17/2009
Hillary Husband: Sole mates

They met for the first time when Hillary Husband was a toddler. She watched with rapt attention the heels that pounded the stage and was wooed by the sweet sound of jingle taps. Hillary didn’t know the teens who were jigging in those clogging shoes. But by the end of the rousing performance, she was certain she had met her sole mate.

 
 
08/17/2009
Inherited risk factors increase odds of developing childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have identified inherited variations in two genes that account for 37 percent of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including a gene that may help predict drug response.

 
 
08/10/2009
Avian influenza strain primes brain for Parkinson’s disease

At least one strain of the H5N1 avian influenza virus leaves survivors at significantly increased risk for Parkinson’s disease and possibly other neurological problems later in life, according to new research from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

 
 
08/10/2009
The big picture

How can we design more effective chemotherapy for childhood leukemia? St. Jude researchers look at the big picture—and find intriguing answers.

 
 
08/04/2009
Perspective: It’s in you to give

“Lots of people ask me why I make the drive from Missouri to Tennessee every other week to donate platelets. It’s simple. Knowing that I’m helping a child is the greatest pleasure I can get.” -- Steven Carter

 
 
08/04/2009
Keeping watch

As home to the only World Health Organization collaborating center focusing on the transmission of animal influenza viruses to humans, St. Jude is closely monitoring the H1N1 pandemic.

 
 
07/27/2009
Scientists track impact of DNA damage in the developing brain

Switching off a key DNA repair system in the developing nervous system is linked to smaller brain size as well as problems in brain structures vital to movement, memory and emotion, according to new research led by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists.

 
 
07/27/2009
Comprehensive look at rare leukemia finds relatively few genetic changes launch disease

The most comprehensive analysis yet of the genome of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found only a few mistakes in the genetic blueprint, suggesting the cancer arises from just a handful of missteps, according to new findings from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

 
 
07/21/2009
St. Jude scientists discover new mechanism controlling neuronal migration

The molecular machinery that helps brain cells migrate to their correct place in the developing brain has been identified by St. Jude scientists. The finding offers new insight into the forces that drive brain organization in developing fetuses and children during their first years.

 
 
07/21/2009
Ellen Taylor: Beyond the yellow brick road

One gray, winter day a cyclone picked up tiny Ellen Taylor and plopped her into an alien land. How could she muster the wisdom, the courage and the heart to travel the difficult road ahead?

 
 
07/13/2009
St. Jude virologist honored by the Royal Society

Robert Webster, PhD, is recognized by the world’s oldest scientific academy for his contributions to the field of virology.

 
 
07/13/2009
Relishing the view

The wait is over for scientists at St. Jude who envisioned the day when technology would transform the way they analyze DNA samples. Using new technology that churns out massive amounts of data, investigators now have a comprehensive view of genomes to increase their understanding of cancers and infectious diseases.

 
 
07/07/2009
Banking a home run

Long ago, doctors and researchers at St. Jude started collecting their own piece of history, with help from the hospital’s patients. The patients’ contribution to history was even more valuable than the most pristine Mantle card: They donated samples that could help researchers find cures for catastrophic childhood diseases.

 
 
06/24/2009
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer, is curable without preventive cranial radiation

Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can be successfully treated using a carefully personalized chemotherapy regimen without cranial radiation, investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have found. Such radiation of the brain was once a standard ALL treatment to prevent recurrence of the leukemia in the central nervous system (CNS).

 
 
06/16/2009
St. Jude scientist named Pew Scholar

Charles Mullighan, MD, PhD, an assistant member in the Pathology Department at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has been named a 2009 Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences. He is the fourth St. Jude scientist honored.

 
 
06/08/2009
St. Jude Classic brings big names and awareness for lifesaving mission

The PGA TOUR’s FedExCup visits Memphis, Tennessee for this week’s St. Jude Classic. The tournament is celebrating its 52nd year with one of its strongest fields of golfers. The world’s No. 2 player, Phil Mickelson, will return to Memphis for the first time since 2001 to compete against top players such as Sergio Garcia, Camilo Villegas, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington and defending St. Jude Classic champion Justin Leonard.

 
 
06/04/2009
Win the house of your dreams and support the lifesaving work of St. Jude

Take a chance on winning the house of your dreams and help support the patients of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. This weekend, 12 fantastic homes, valued between $300,000 and $700,000, are being given away in select cities during the St. Jude Dream Home® Giveaway.

 
 
06/02/2009
Mutant genes identified in high-risk childhood leukemias

A research team has pinpointed a new class of gene mutations, which identify cases of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) that have a high risk of relapse and death.

 
 
05/27/2009
Kappa Alpha Psi honored for Sunday of Hope program

On May 18, Kappa Alpha Psi’s Sunday of Hope turned in to a Celebration of Hope at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as members of Kappa Alpha Psi and top fundraising churches joined St. Jude families for a special ceremony where Kappa Alpha Psi was presented with a commemorative plaque in the Patient Care Center.

 
 
05/26/2009
Second nature

Inspired by toxins that occur in nature, St. Jude scientists create an entirely new class of drugs that attack cancer in a novel way.

 
 
05/19/2009
A class of his own

Mischievous Jonah Borngrebe is one of a kind. Unfortunately, the tumor in his brain is also extremely rare. St. Jude researchers are helping the world’s scientific community better classify this tumor.

 
 
05/11/2009
Target House celebrates 10 years

This week, Target House celebrates 10 years of being a home away from home for patients and their families facing long-term stays for treatment at St. Jude.

 
 
05/06/2009
Making Heather smile

When Heather came to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, she missed her pets back home. But she found solace in a golden retriever named Kicker who helped the little girl smile as she battled a brain tumor.

 
 
05/01/2009
St. Jude scientists help develop a vaccine for influenza A (H1N1)

As the world watches the developing story of the influenza A (H1N1) outbreak, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is working collaboratively with other research centers to help develop an effective vaccine.

 
 
04/28/2009
Smoke signals

St. Jude helps childhood cancer survivors say “no” to nicotine by conducting a study and establishing the Cancer Survivors Tobacco Quit Line.

 
 
04/21/2009
Elizabeth: Back in the saddle

Three-day eventing is a grueling equestrian sport that requires the rider to be in strong physical shape, technically adept and have a good bond with her horse. Intense training, focus and determination have helped 16-year-old Elizabeth qualify for Nationals twice. Focus and determination have also proved important in the most important competition Elizabeth has encountered yet: her battle with cancer.

 
 
04/14/2009
Scholastic and St. Jude team up to fight cancer

St. Jude is proud to announce that Scholastic Inc. has teamed with the St. Jude Math-A-Thon® to bring the Math-A-Thon program to a new and exciting level for the 2009 -10 school year.

 
 
04/14/2009
St. Jude Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Team recognized with prestigious science award

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital who represent the interdisciplinary team studying acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have been recognized by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) with the AACR Team Science Award.

 
 
04/14/2009
Aaron Curry invites patient to NFL Draft

Wake Forest University senior linebacker Aaron Curry, a top prospect in the 2009 NFL Draft, visited St. Jude on April 13 and invited patient Bryson to join him in New York for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, including joining the future NFL star in the green room of Radio City Music Hall as he awaits his selection in the draft.

 
 
04/08/2009
Celebrating 10 years of Up 'til Dawn

Since 1999, students have been pulling all-nighters for the kids of St. Jude, and 10 years later the weary are still going strong. What began as a means of strumming up on-campus support for the hospital has evolved into a multi-million dollar program that boasts participation from more than 250 colleges nationwide. Not what you’d call a snoozer.

 
 
03/31/2009
St. Jude Intensive Care Unit honored with prestigious critical care award

Nurses and staff in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have been recognized by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) with the Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence. The award recognizes the nation’s top adult critical care, pediatric critical care and progressive care units.

 
 
03/31/2009
Language lessons

In a place far from their home, Andra Tully holds her daughter and gently whispers words of encouragement in a language seldom heard in the halls of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Waiting together for an early morning appointment in one of the hospital’s play areas, 17-month-old Helen responds with a bright smile and a bout of giggles.

 
 
03/26/2009
St. Jude researcher named Howard Hughes Early Career Scientist

Michael Dyer, a faculty member at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, has been tapped as one of the nation’s leading scientists by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

 
 
03/23/2009
MVP of surgical oncology care

As members of the multidisciplinary team at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, surgeons focus on defeating cancer with the same vigor that drives athletes to the top of their game. The strategy: a strong commitment to training and education.

 
 
03/23/2009
New cancer treatment drug combo shows promise

Oncologists frequently use combinations of chemotherapy drugs as a knockout punch against tumors. The strategy has proven successful because it aims to jam the machinery of cancer cells in ways that are synergistic—fighting cancers more effectively than the individual drugs could alone.

 
 
03/16/2009
The hunt for Puma

Nine-year-old Matthew Fox doesn’t talk much about the fact that he was found to have cancer when he was 4 years old. His mother, Freda, says most people have a hard time believing that the third-grader battled Burkitt lymphoma, a cancer in which immune cells called B lymphocytes turn malignant and proliferate uncontrollably.

 
 
03/10/2009
Outreach through Oncopedia

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital extends far beyond the borders of the United States. An interactive Web site known as Oncopedia helps health care providers in the world’s most remote regions access St. Jude knowledge and research with the click of a computer mouse.

 
 
03/10/2009
Key medulloblastoma brain cancer genes pinpointed

Scientists at St. Jude have generated new models of medulloblastoma tumors by inactivating different DNA repair pathways, specifically in the brain.

 
 
03/02/2009
Aaron Jackson: Double Jeopardy

Imagine finding out that your newborn son has an inherited blood disorder. Still reeling from that diagnosis, you discover that he also has cancer. St. Jude helps one family cope.

 
 
03/02/2009
Life-and-death protein regulates immune system’s “emergency team”

White blood cells called neutrophils and macrophages are the first responders of the immune system. They serve as the first line of defense against invading microbes—identifying them, engulfing them and eliminating them.

 
 
02/25/2009
Study finds more effective treatment for pneumonia following influenza

Scientists at St. Jude have demonstrated an extremely effective treatment for bacterial pneumonia following influenza.

 
 
02/23/2009
Sarah Marchbank: Tiny dancer

It was like a Nutcracker dream sequence, in which the Mouse King and his minions attack Clara. But this performance was real—a production fraught with uncertainty and hope. In the midst of chemotherapy and radiation, Sarah Marchbank knew exactly what she had to do: Dance on.

 
 
02/17/2009
Tennis stars step to the service line for St. Jude

Many of the top tennis players in the world are in Memphis, Tennessee, this week for the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup benefiting St. Jude. Former champions Andy Roddick and Tommy Haas are among a field of top contenders who are competing for the RMK title.

 
 
02/17/2009
Study shows how defective DNA repair triggers two neurological diseases

St. Jude scientists have teased apart the biological details distinguishing two related neurological diseases—ataxia telangiectasia-like disease (ATLD) and Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS).

 
 
02/10/2009
Erica Ely: Learning more about diffuse pontine glioma

Erica Ely was 2 years old when her mother, Jackie, first took her to the physician for eye-related problems. After several clinical visits for what was diagnosed as pink eye, a pediatrician noticed one side of Erica’s face wasn’t moving while she was crying and recommended that Erica visit a neuro-ophthalmologist.

 
 
02/03/2009
Solving for X

“There’s nothing we can do,” his physicians said, when they discovered that Cooper Winters had an extremely rare disease carried on the X chromosome. Then Cooper came to St. Jude.

 
 
02/03/2009
St. Jude finds more than 100 gene variations linked with response to leukemia treatment

Scan of thousands of inherited genetic changes reveal specific variations linked to treatment failure and the fate of chemotherapy drugs in the body for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

 
 
02/02/2009
Univision radiothon encourages listeners across the country to support St. Jude

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has once again joined forces with Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group in the United States, in its annual radiothon to help St. Jude find cures and save children. The event will be broadcast to more than 15 markets around the country, including Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; New York, New York; and Puerto Rico.

 
 
01/20/2009
Country Cares celebrates 20 years of helping St. Jude

More than 800 members of the country music industry, from executives to recording artists and radio representatives, gathered in Memphis January 15-18 to celebrate 20 years of support for the children of St. Jude. The annual Country Cares for St. Jude Kids seminar drew participants from around the country to join Country Music Hall-of-Famer Randy Owen in applauding past accomplishments and looking to future goals.

 
 
01/20/2009
Owen, original stations honored for devotion to Country Cares

The annual Songwriters’ Dinner at the Country Cares for St. Jude Kids® seminar celebrated 20 years of country music’s dedication to the children of St. Jude, as well as the unwavering devotion of Randy Owen. Owen, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame who spearheaded the founding of Country Cares, was honored with a special award for his 20 years of commitment to helping St. Jude.

 
 
01/06/2009
Ciara Ginet: The comeback kid

As third baseman for a competitive softball league, Ciara Ginet was used to handling sharply hit line drives. Despite arduous training, nothing compared with what careened Ciara’s way not once, but twice in the past two years.

 
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