UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital remains at the forefront in the fight against pediatric cancer. Three recent gifts are supporting the work of Alex Huang, MD, Program Director, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship, Angie Fowler Adolescent & Young Adult Cancer Institute, UH Rainbow Babies & Children's, and the Theresia G. and Stuart F. Kline Family Foundation Chair in Pediatric Oncology, and his research into a potential immunotherapy treatment for osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer.

Immunotherapy is the process of using the body’s own immune system to prevent and treat disease. It’s showing great potential for curing previously incurable disease with reduced side effects. Dr. Huang's laboratory discovered a novel therapy for osteosarcoma using Natalizumab, an FDA-approved immunotherapy agent intended to treat autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.

The family of Sandy and Tim Wuliger and The Krause Family Foundation each made gifts of $250,000, while Michael Egge gifted an additional $100,000. This support will provide critical funding to help complete early stage research currently underway at Angie’s Institute at UH Rainbow with the hopes of beginning an FDA-approved clinical trial into Natalizumab.

The fight against pediatric cancer is a personal one for Michael Egge. His daughter, Olivia, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2017. “It’s a cancer that can’t help but make you intensely angry, especially when you learn that it’s a rare cancer that has seen no advancements in treatment since the advent of chemotherapy,” shared Michael.

Michael and Olivia’s community rallied around them and began to raise money to help find a cure. Michael, along with several others who had been affected by osteosarcoma, established the Osteosarcoma Collaborative and helped turn that money into the largest single grant for osteosarcoma research to date. Through a collaboration with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, the $1.35 million grant was awarded to Dr. Huang.

“Dr. Huang’s research has the potential of creating a new treatment therapy for osteosarcoma," said Michael. "My gift will help him continue that work and potentially save lives.”

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