Stephen Hunger Research Program

The research program of Stephen P. Hunger, MD, is focused on using molecular and genomic approaches to identify and clinically evaluate targeted cancer treatments for children with relapsed or high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) such as Philadelphia chromosome-like (Ph-Like) ALL. The long-term goal of Dr. Hunger’s research is to develop better therapies, improve cure rates and minimize treatment toxicities for children with ALL.

Pediatric Cancers Differ from Adult Cancers, and Need Different Treatment Plans, Say CHOP Experts

A new study finds important differences in how cancers develop in children as compared to adults, proving the concept that childhood cancers are not "small adult tumors."

Selected Publications

Erk negative feedback control enables pre-B cell transformation and represents a therapeutic target in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Cancer Cell. 2015 Jul 13;28(1):114-28.
Shojaee S, Caeser R, Buchner M, Park E, Swaminathan S, Hurtz C, Geng H, Chan LN, Klemm L, Hofmann WK, Qiu YH, Zhang N, Coombes KR, Paietta E, Molkentin J, Koeffler HP, Willman CL, Hunger SP, Melnick A, Kornblau SM, Müschen M.

Inherited coding variants at the CDKN2A locus influence susceptibility to acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children. Nat Commun. 2015 Jun 24;6:7553.
Yang J, Xu H, Zhang H, Yang W, Yadav R, Morrison AC, Qian M, Devidas M, Liu Y, Perez-Andreu V, Zhao X, Gastier-Foster JM, Lupo PJ, Neale J, Raetz E, Larsen E, Bowman WP, Carroll WL, Winick N, Williams R, Hansen T, Holm J-C, Mardis E, Fulton R, Pui C-H, Zhang J, Mullighan CG, Evans WE, Hunger SP, Gupta R, Schmiegelow K, Loh ML, Relling MV.

Genome-wide analysis links NFATC2 with asparaginase allergy. Blood. 2015 Jul 2;126(1):69-75.
Fernandez CA, Smith C, Yang W, Mullighan CG, Qu C, Larsen E, Bowman WP, Liu C, Ramsey LB, Chang T, Karol SE, Loh ML, Raetz EA, Winick NJ, Hunger SP, Carroll WL, Jeha S, Pui C-H, Evans WE, Devidas M, Relling MV.

Collaborators