Welcome

The Pediatric Preclinical Testing Initiative (PPTI) at the Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute of the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) has been established with the mission of identifying novel targeted therapies for childhood cancer and other diseases using genetically-engineered mouse models. For childhood cancers, the PPTI works in partnership with the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) at the National Cancer Institute (NCI)to discover new, molecularly-targeted therapies that are more effective and less toxic than traditional chemotherapy.

We are a team of scientists from diverse backgrounds - biomedical engineering, biochemistry, immunology - who are dedicated to the performance of leading-edge research that will improve the outcomes of children who find themselves battling pediatric illnesses. For the childhood cancers rhabdomyosarcoma and medulloblastoma, the last three to four decades of research have not resulted in a significant improvement in children diagnosed with advanced forms of these cancers despite the earnest efforts of scientists across the globe. The PPTI will directly test the effect of newly developed drugs in these and other childhood diseases in collaboration with other universities and pharmaceutical companies alike in order to identify treatments that have the best chance of making a difference in a child's life.