Medical Research

About St. Jude

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is dedicated to finding cures for childhood catastrophic diseases through research and development of treatments.

Focus: Research

Research at St. Jude is aimed at understanding the chemical fundamentals, genetic and molecular catastrophic childhood diseases, in order to find cures for these diseases and facilitate prevention. The research focuses specifically to cancer, acquired and inherited immunodeficiencies and genetic disorders.

Current Research

The research carried out on St. Jude includes work in gene therapy, bone marrow transplantation, chemotherapy, biochemistry of normal and cancerous cells, radiation therapy, blood diseases, resistance to therapy, viruses, hereditary diseases, influenza , pediatric AIDS and psychological effects of catastrophic illnesses. St. Jude conducts long-term biostatistical investigations on their patients, and is the only pediatric research hospital which receives support from cancer center by the National Cancer Institute.

Expansion Plans

St. Jude is in a period of expansion in five years, which will double the hospital's research efforts as well as the size of your facility. The plan amounting to one billion dollars, including the creation of a center to combat childhood infections and the spread of International Outreach Program (International Outreach Program-IOP) of the hospital.

Patients

St. Jude treats approximately 7, 800 patients each year, most of whom receive outpatient treatment as part of research programs. The hospital has 78 beds for patients requiring hospitalization and serves about 260 patients each day.

Since opening in 1962, St. Jude has treated more than 19, 000 children from all over the United States and 70 other countries.

Patients are admitted to St. Jude to be referred by a doctor, once the child or adolescent has received an accurate diagnosis, or is suspected of suffering from a disease under investigation in St. Jude.

ALSAC (American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities), is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds to cover treatment costs that are not reimbursed by health insurance, and total costs in cases that do not have an sure. After an assessment, assistance may be provided for the cost of transportation and lodging for the families during their hospital stay. ALSAC covers the costs of initial patient transfer to St. Jude.

Foundation

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, and opened its doors on February 4, 1962. Funds for hospital maintenance consists mainly of public contributions collected by ALSAC and its volunteers. ALSAC was created expressly by Danny Thomas in order to obtain funds to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The hospital also receives federal support (mainly through the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute), as well as investment and insurance.

Nobel Prize