Recently, several of our board members were invited to tour the lab that is making great strides in NF research. Dr David Largaespada , the physician in charge of the lab, personally gave us a tour.
The research lab is divided in to multiple sections, each following a specific agenda. Each professional was very open with us and excited to talk about their area of research.
Dave Reischel, a board member and an NF patient, had this to say about the tour. “Recently I toured a research lab focused on advanced scientific techniques for treatment of those with NF1. They are performing trials on tumor suppression & tumor reduction using existing drugs / pharmaceuticals already approved for other disorders. Also being researched is using genetically targeted therapy based on specific tumor cell type.” Thank you for sharing your comments Dave!
It is so exciting to know that research is ongoing to help the thousands upon thousands afflicted in varying degrees with NF.
We also met up with another small organization like ourselves that is dedicated to the fight for NF. This organization is also pleased as well as excited about where Dr. David Largaespada’s, Ph.D research is going.
Like our Myshell, Zachary Bartz lost his fight with NF at a young age. Both children fought the fight and wished for their families to continue this for them. The Bartz family has been raising funds with an annual golf outing among other efforts.
You all know where this is going right?? So we have met the folks that we wish to partner with in living out Myshell’s dream. We feel confident, and blessed if you will, to have found the research team that will help us make that a reality.
But you know we CANNOT do it alone! We need YOUR help. Myshell began the first annual walk for NF held annually in Chippewa Falls, WI. Myshell’s walk has been renamed and with a new purpose we are quickly approaching the 2nd Annual Kick It In The Park for NF on May 18th, 2019. (https://www.facebook.com/events/544867055993217/)
Not only will you get some exercise, make new friends, greet old ones, eat good food, get a chance to win tons of raffle prizes, you will help us help the entire NF community. First and foremost our funds and efforts go towards the people directly in our midst suffering from NF. But keep this thought going – if, by helping OUR community, we help a wonderful research team, we ARE really helping a greater community at large Kick NF!
A large number of the people in our geographic area see doctors at the University of Minnesota. For those that don’t the university shares their findings with many other institutions and doctors.
Dr. David Largaespada, Ph.D., is a Full Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Cell Biology and Development and the Associate Director for Basic Research in the Masonic Cancer Center at University of Minnesota.
He is an authority on mouse genetics, gene modification and cancer genes. He received his B.S. in Genetics and Cell Biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 1987 and his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology with Dr. Rex Risser at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992. He did a postdoctoral fellowship at the National Cancer Institute working with world-renowned geneticists Dr. Nancy Jenkins and Dr. Neal Copeland, where the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America awarded him a postdoctoral fellowship.
He joined the faculty of the University of Minnesota in late 1996. Dr. Largaespada currently holds the Hedberg Family/Children’s Cancer Research Fund Chair in Brain Tumor Research. He was awarded the American Cancer Society Research Professor Award in 2013, the highest award given by the ACS.
(from https://www.cancer.umn.edu/bio/cancer-center-leadership/david-largaespada).