Versiti Blood Research Institute Articles
Building Better Futures for Children Fighting Cancer
Riley Cadiz was just 2 years old when she collapsed at the dinner table. Within weeks, her family received devastating news: high-risk B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Thanks to chemotherapy and blood transfusions, Riley survived — but the treatment left her exhausted, nauseous, and sometimes unable to walk due to neuropathy.
"Riley was always our Spitfire," her mother Stephanie recalls. "She had all the energy in the world, so it was really hard to see her struggle during chemo because of all the side effects."
Children Deserve Treatments that Preserve Childhood
Pediatric cancer survival rates have improved dramatically — reaching 90% for ALL — but progress remains uneven. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) still claims 30% to 40% of young patients, and even survivors often face debilitating long-term consequences from the treatments that saved their lives.
At Versiti Blood Research Institute (VBRI), we're pursuing a dual mission: developing therapies with fewer side effects and preventing these devastating diseases altogether. Our collaborative, interdisciplinary environment allows researchers to tackle childhood blood cancers from multiple angles simultaneously.
Sid Rao, MD, PhD, a physician-scientist on the front lines of pediatric cancer care, focuses on the cohesin complex — proteins mutated in up to 20% of AML cases. These mutations function as molecular switches, disrupting normal genetic function and driving the development of leukemia. Using cutting-edge tools like CRISPR and single-cell sequencing, Rao's lab decodes how these mutations work and identifies pathways for intervention.
"We treat a lot of kids and they're still not long-term survivors," Rao explains. "If they are long-term survivors, they're dying of the consequences of the treatments, rather than of their disease. As a physician, that's painful to watch."
His research aims to change this reality — not just extending survival, but ensuring children like Riley can experience childhood fully, both during and after treatment.
VBRI's unique position as a single-subject research institute dedicated to blood health, located on a medical campus that treats thousands of children annually, positions our researchers to accelerate discoveries that genuinely matter. Together, we're working toward a future where surviving cancer doesn't come at the cost of quality of life.