Hyundai Hope On Wheels grant helps fund groundbreaking research at Children’s Health

Children’s Health is committed to the fight to end childhood cancer. Our partner Hyundai Hope On Wheels is committed to the same fight.

To date, the organization has awarded more than $3 million to Children’s Health physicians spearheading innovative research initiatives that aim to change the lives of patients at Children’s Health and expand our knowledge on childhood cancer.

“We value our longstanding partnership with Children’s Health as we work together to help kids fight cancer,” said John Guastaferro, Hyundai Hope On Wheels’ Executive Director.

In 2024, Hyundai Hope On Wheels awarded a $400,000 Hyundai Hope Scholar Grant to Andrew Koh, M.D., Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at Children’s Health and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center, who is studying why immune checkpoint therapy – a treatment that helps the body recognize and attack cancer cells – has largely been ineffective in children and teenagers with solid tumors. Ultimately, Dr. Koh wants to “give patients an opportunity to have a life.”

Immune checkpoint therapy has revolutionized cancer treatment of previously incurable adult cancers. Hyundai Hope On Wheels’ grant funding lays the groundwork for new therapies that can improve immunotherapy treatments for children impacted by childhood cancer.

According to Dr. Koh’s research proposal, a variety of factors could influence the disparities in such treatment responses, including the gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria residing within the human gastrointestinal tract.

“Good guy bugs” in the gut can help patients fight against cancer, Dr. Koh said. His research seeks to further understand how the efficacy of immune checkpoint therapy is affected by a patient’s gut microbiome.

“There are only a few groups around the world that focus on that, and we're one of the very few pediatric groups leading this kind of research,” Dr. Koh said.

At Children’s Health, philanthropy supports researchers’ efforts to better understand diseases, chronic conditions and injuries within new areas of research not presently funded by external entities. These discoveries also can lead to the development of new medicines, treatments or approaches to caring for patients.

Each year, there are thousands of active research studies at Children’s Health that impact the lives of patient families. For many of these children, research is their last hope for the treatment of their illnesses. Together, we’re building a brighter future for children.