Congressman Cohen Announces More Than $1.2 Million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded two grants for projects implemented by St. Jude Children's Research Hospital totaling over $1.26 million.

The first grant will fund research into the discovery of molecules that inhibit toll-like receptor-mediated inflammation. Inflammatory diseases can form after an immune response within the body, but the receptors can go into over-drive, thus needing to be inhibited to prevent cancer from forming. The discovery of molecules that inhibit toll-like receptor-mediated inflammation can be used in cancer immunotherapy treatments. This grant is for $812,562.

The second grant will fund research surrounding Hippo signaling in stable regulatory activity and immune tolerance. The Hippo pathway is a regulator of tissue growth that facilitates the initiation and progression of cancer cells. These pathways kill cells, and therefore, any deregulation of the Hippo pathway can cause an increase in cell formation. Research into Hippo pathway functions could lead to breakthroughs in regulating forms of cancer immunity and decreasing tumor formation. This grant is for $448,750.

"St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is one of the top research hospitals in the world," said Congressman Cohen. "This new federal funding will help St. Jude doctors and scientists continue saving lives and providing our children with the best medical care possible."