Volume 25 | September 4, 2024
As our hearts gleam gold for Childhood Cancer Awareness month, we reflect on the significance of this color. According to ACCO, who originally came up with the gold ribbon as a symbol for childhood cancer, gold was selected because it is a precious metal, and reflects the most precious thing in our lives—our children. Other symbolic attributes associated with gold are generosity, compassion, and enlightenment - sharing wisdom, knowledge, and wealth with others. Our community fully embodies these traits and here are some other ways to gleam gold this month:
- Donate to receive a bright, bold gold bow to raise awareness for Childhood Cancer and support osteosarcoma research and patient programs.
- Purchase a limited edition T-shirt or sweatshirt with the names of OsteoWarriors and Angels, reminding us why we don't, and can't forget Childhood Cancer.
- Read about Ryan Kennington's story, a long-term osteosarcoma survivor who is now pursuing a career in cancer research.
- Join our September 11th tumor review board for osteosarcoma (TURBO), an educational forum that is open to medical professionals.
- Become a Writer Agent and send letters of support to OsteoWarriors in our Warrior Mail packages.
- Apply for our 2025 OutSmarting Osteosarcoma grant cycle. LOI submission opens on 9/27/24.
We are constantly amazed and forever grateful for the generosity, compassion, and pursuit of enlightenment in our community. Here's to gleaming gold and conquering Childhood Cancer.
With hope,
Ann
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This September, adorn your mailbox, front door, office, or any special place with a gold bow to stand with pediatric cancer patients and raise awareness in your community. With a $25 donation, you’ll receive a beautiful and weather-resistant gold bow — a symbol of hope, love and strength. Our dedicated Bow Agent volunteers are delivering gold bows in neighborhoods nationwide. Let your support shine bright for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!
Our Childhood Cancer Awareness merch is now LIVE! This exclusive design is a heartfelt tribute to the MIB Warriors & Angels who have faced osteosarcoma. With every wear, you honor them and support ongoing efforts to bring awareness to childhood cancer. Merch it Better with us! Choose from a hoodie, t-shirt, or sweatshirt — each style features the names of MIB Warriors and Angels on the back.
Meet Ryan Kennington, an OsteoWarrior who is now pursuing a career in cancer research. Ryan was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his hip joint in September 2014 when he was 17 years old. After completing primary treatment in July 2015, he relapsed in January 2016 to his lung and had surgery to remove the nodule in April 2016, and has been NED since! Ryan graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in biology and plans to go to medical school to pursue a career in medicine. He is currently a clinical research coordinator at the University of Utah. A tremendous patient advocate, Ryan was a member of the inaugural MIB Agents Junior Advisory Board and has courageously shared his patient experience in several speeches at an MIB FACTOR conference and a collaborative MIB & Hyundai Hope On Wheels conference.
- Clinical Faculty, Solid Tumor Focus - Riley Children's Health
- Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Faculty, Duke Health
- Associate Professor or Professor, Tenure Track, Pediatric Sarcoma Research - UPenn
- Associate or Full Professor (Program Head, Sarcoma Program) - UW
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Sarcoma Medical Oncology - MDACC
- Associate Professor, Sarcoma Team - UPenn
- Assistant Professor, Sarcoma - OHSU
- Sarcoma Oncologist - Georgetown Cancer Institute
- Pediatric Oncology Solid Tumor Clinician Educator - Stanford
- Scientist, Osteosarcoma Cell Therapy Initiative, UCSF Roybal Lab, Allen Lab
- Director of the CSU Flint Animal Cancer Center
If you have a job posting and you would like it included here, please email christina@mibagents.org.
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Watch Past Episodes and See the Upcoming Schedule
A virtual tumor review board for osteosarcoma, TURBO is open to global clinicians or researchers with an interest in osteosarcoma. Patients and families are welcome to ask their oncologists to present a case on their behalf.
Join TURBO to request an invite or submit a case.
NEXT MEETING DATE: September 11th at 5pm ET
- Pharmacologic Inhibition of EIF4A Blocks NRF2 Synthesis to Prevent Osteosarcoma Metastasis
- Recent advances in drug delivery systems for osteosarcoma therapy and bone regeneration
- On the Forefront of Veterinary Medicine: Waves of Relief for Canines with Cancer
- Overcoming Systemic Barriers to Make Patient-Partnered Research a Reality
- Study on limb-sparing canine osteosarcoma treatment is underway
- Improved chemokine homing enhances CAR T-cell therapy for osteosarcoma
- Phase 1/2 Trial of Silmitasertib in Sarcoma and Brain Tumors to Proceed
We are delighted not only with the extraordinary growth of Warrior Mail over the past 4 years, but by the number of Warriors who, having been recipients of mail from our generous, dynamic Writer Agents, are now themselves Writer Agents! In August alone we had OsteoWarriors Benton, Penelope, Mackenzie, and Aiden all greeting their peers! The MIB community is certainly all embracing!
One of our newest OsteoWarriors, Alana, was visiting with Isabel, Director of Programs on a recent Saturday morning, when she asked “Do you know Lizzie and Jemimah?” Isabel was taken aback, as she had the previous morning had coffee with Lizzie and Jemimah’s handlers from LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs from Boca Raton and Savannah. “Well in fact, yes I do?” Lizzie and Jemimah are dedicated Writer Agents who dictate letters to their handlers, Cindy and Nikki. “Do you think I could maybe meet them?” “Well, of course. I am sure that Jemimah might be free next week!” (Lizzie lives in another state.) Only at MIB!
OutSmarting Osteosarcoma is an annual award begun in 2017. Since then, MIB Agents has supported 22 investigators and awarded $1,800,000 to support osteosarcoma research. Our 2025 grant cycle will include two funding mechanisms. The OutSmarting Osteosarcoma Hero Award is a $100,000 grant and the OutSmarting Osteosarcoma Young Investigator (YI) Hope Award is a $50,000 grant. The Letter of Intent (LOI) submission period will open on September 27, 2024. LOIs are due by October 25, 2024 at 11:59pm ET. Applicants who submit a LOI and are approved will then be invited to submit a full application by January 26, 2025.
Questions? Email christina@mibagents.org
If you have a trial that is currently enrolling osteosarcoma patients, please email christina@mibagents.org.
