News & Highlights - Spring 2021 - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Challenging dogma about a relapsed brain tumor

St. Jude scientists are studying the molecular mechanisms responsible for medulloblastoma treatment failure and recurrence.
COVID-19 poses a serious risk to bone marrow transplant recipients

St. Jude scientists are discovering that children and adults who receive bone marrow transplants should make COVID-19 prevention a priority.
Genetic variants linked to heart health in African American childhood cancer survivors

St. Jude scientists identified genetic variants in African American childhood cancer survivors that have implications for up-front care and long-term surveillance.
Researchers offer new strategy to stop COVID-19

St. Jude scientists may have figured out how COID-19 kills and how to stop it.
Protecting the lungs after flu and other respiratory infections

St. Jude researchers have discovered cells that help regulate inflammation.
Machine learning gives research a leg up

St. Jude scientists developed deep learning to add to machine learning methods, which helps grow cancer research tools.
Results published on medulloblastoma clinical trial

St. Jude researchers find more insight into medulloblastoma molecular groups to determine treatment for patients.

St. Jude mourns the loss of pioneers, leaders

St. Jude recently lost two extraordinary leaders and giants in the research and treatment of pediatric catastrophic diseases: Joseph V. Simone, MD, who served as the third director of St. Jude; and Arthur W. Nienhuis, MD, the hospital’s fourth director.

Simone helped lead the first curative treatment for childhood leukemia, the legendary Total 5 clinical trial. During his tenure, the hospital instituted an HIV/AIDS clinical program, elevated its research to unprecedented heights, and created the world’s largest long-term follow-up clinic for childhood cancer survivors.

Nienhuis, a gene therapy pioneer, contributed to research that led to a cure for X-linked severe combined immune deficiency and to gene transfer that transformed life for men with a severe form of hemophilia B. Nienhuis oversaw the “billion-dollar expansion,” one of the most dramatic eras of growth in the hospital’s history.

The legacy of Simone and Nienhuis will live on through the students, scientists, clinicians, academicians and survivors who benefited from their genius, their vision, their passion and their leadership.