Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta | Children’s Healthcare of Los Angeles

Stopping Tumors in their Tracks – A GT/CHOA/IFF Partnership

Ian’s Friends Foundation is sponsoring a new research project to improve outcomes after tumor resection surgery. Professor Ravi Bellamkonda (Georgia Tech/Emory Department of Biomedical Engineering) and Dr. Barun Brahma (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) are collaborating on the project to create a clear delineation of the borders of tumors. A large hurdle in treating operable tumors is the appropriate delineation of the tumor margins during surgical resection. In tumors with ill-defined borders this task is especially taxing, and resection is typically incomplete and followed by tumor recurrence. In order to yield a better resection of the tumor, they are developing an approach using nanotechnology to mark tumor margins clearly so as to provide accurate visual cues to the surgeon during surgery. This demarcation will be visible to the naked eye, without needing MRI or other equipment, and will facilitate easier and more complete removal of the tumor. This approach will enable the precise removal of only the tumor cells while sparing healthy cells, thus preserving function after surgery.

Another research project sponsored by Ian’s Friends Foundation in the Bellamkonda lab includes development of models of low grade tumors. These models will provide a basis to enhance our understanding of the vascular state of low-grade tumors, and help enhance systemic chemotherapy and nanocarrier targeting. This project will involve using the tumor bank at Emory/CHOA in animal models to uncover characteristics of low-grade tumors, which will then enable new strategies for treatment of low-grade tumors. Professor Bellamkonda is a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scholar and Director of the Neurological Biomaterials and Cancer Therapeutics Laboratory in the Georgia Tech/Emory Department of Biomedical Engineering. His lab is devoted to developing techniques to create personalized cancer treatment through improved detection, diagnosis, and therapy. Other research projects in his lab include developing contrast agents for enhanced imaging of tumors and developing targeted drug delivery vehicles for improved specificity of drug delivery to tumors. Dr. Barun Brahma is a pediatric neurosurgeon with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Dr. Brahma specializes in brain tumor and spinal surgery. Dr. Barun’s research interests are in repair of spinal injuries