(Tampa, FL) It’s a rare diagnosis that devastates families. ATRT - atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors - are fast-growing brain tumors that primarily affect infants and young children. They typically don’t respond well to current treatments, with 5-year survival rates hovering around 30%.

Research undertaken at the University of South Florida shows early promise for a possible new combination drug treatment. Now, a foundation started by parents who lost a child to ATRT will fund the work necessary to move this combination toward drug development.

Nuzhat Nowshin Oishee, PhD, a Post-Doctoral Scholar in USF’s Department of Chemistry is the recipient of The Hope4ATRT Foundation’s Young Investigator Award, for her project, ICA-1S decreases ATRT survival and proliferation.

“This award will provide the opportunity to focus my efforts on potential agents against this rare and devastating pediatric brain cancer,” said Dr. Oishee. “I am excited to contribute to a field where even small breakthroughs can make a significant difference in the lives of children and their families. The lack of effective treatments for aggressive and rare tumors like ATRT, and the vulnerability of the patient population, are powerful motivators. I am committed to advancing our understanding of ATRT and translating laboratory findings into meaningful therapeutic strategies.”

The three-year $75,000 award will fund Oishee’s continued work in the lab of Dr. Mildred Acevedo-Duncan, a research professor in USF’s Department of Chemistry. With previous grant funding from Hope4ATRT, Duncan’s lab focused on ICA-1S, a drug that inhibits an enzyme crucial to ATRT cell growth and proliferation. Using ATRT cells grown in petri dishes and mice tumor models, Oishee was among the research assistants who monitored the cells’ response to ICA-1S alone and in conjunction with a known chemotherapy drug called TMZ.

While each of the drugs alone produce negative effects on the cancer cells, they may work better together. Preliminary results showed that the combination of ICA-1S and TMZ reduced proteins that allow the cancer cells to keep dividing. It also increased levels of a protein called Bad that promotes tumor cell death.

Building on these findings, Oishee’s project aims to better understand the signaling pathways that allow ATRT cells to proliferate and grow. The project also investigates whether measuring levels of the ICA-1S targeted enzyme in ATRT tumor specimens might serve as a biomarker to determine which pediatric patients could benefit from such therapy.

“We are particularly excited to support Dr. Oishee’s vital work, as she contributes to the development of more effective and kinder treatments for patients with ATRT,” said Jaymi Yamoah, co-founder of Out of Zion, Inc. and its research entity, the Hope4ATRT Foundation. “We are certain Dr. Oishee will make significant contributions to the field.”

###

About The Hope4ATRT Foundation:

Hope4ATRT Foundation is a research entity of Out of Zion Inc, dedicated to supporting families in the fight against this rare pediatric brain cancer with up-to-date resources and research. Our mission is to provide a centralized site where parents can find the information they need to navigate their child's diagnosis - what to do, where to go for treatment, what resources/support are available to them, and advancements made through ATRT research. Out of Zion, Inc. and the Hope4ATRT Foundation were founded by Dr. Kosj and Jaymi Yamoah, parents of a sweet boy named Zion who was diagnosed with ATRT just before his third birthday. Despite Dr. Yamoah’s background as a doctor in the field of cancer research, they were devastated and confused by the limited options offered for their son’s treatment. The Yamoahs vowed to expand research efforts and support families facing an ATRT diagnosis with no-cost creative arts programs for children with medical and special needs. Out of Zion, Inc. and the Hope4ATRT Foundation exist as a legacy of Zion Yamoah. Learn more at www.hope4atrt.org

About USF’s College of Arts and Sciences:

The USF College of Arts and Sciences is committed to excellence across the liberal arts and sciences. With more than 900 full-time faculty and staff across 23 academic departments and schools on all three campuses, the college serves 15,000 undergraduate majors and 1,700 graduate students, while delivering 487,000 semester credit hours annually to students across the university.

Our highly-ranked academic programs are among the best in the country and the world, with strengths in Library and Information Sciences (15th in the world and Industrial and Organizational Psychology (3rd in the U.S.), among others. With more than $25M in annual research expenditures, our research portfolio has been growing quickly. Our faculty conduct cutting-edge and award-winning research in such areas as cancer cell biology, social media and human experience, bacterial pathogenesis, human dynamics, national security and religion and health. We are home to 26 research centers and institutes, including our Humanities Institute, which regularly hosts distinguished writers and scholars from across the country.