A charity, founded by a couple whose son died from a rare form of cancer, is co-funding the first major research into this specific disease strain in 40 years.
Ben Crowther, who was seven years old, passed away in 2019 from rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive cancer primarily affecting children. His parents, Scott and Sarah, established 'Pass the Smile for Ben,' a special fund managed by the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG), to support young patients with this condition.
Landmark Research Initiative at Southampton
The new research will take place at the University of Southampton, jointly funded by the CCLG and Cancer UK. This initiative marks a significant development, as the last new drug released to treat this cancer was in 1986.
Scott Crowther noted the delay in funding and development for treatments over the past four decades.
Pioneering CAR-NK Therapy Investigation
Dr. Matthew Blunt and his team in Southampton will lead the investigation. They will build on previous research involving a potentially safer treatment known as CAR-NK.
CAR-NK therapy involves attaching chimeric antigen receptors (CAR) to natural killer (NK) immune cells to enhance the body's intrinsic ability to combat cancer. These modified cells are believed to detect and eliminate previously hidden cancer cells.
Driving Future Treatments for Rhabdomyosarcoma
The study aims to understand why NK cells are not effective in fighting rhabdomyosarcoma. The findings are intended to inform the development of treatments that can activate naturally present NK cells in children and generate additional cells from adult donors.
According to Crowther, funding such research is the core purpose of the Pass the Smile for Ben fund.
This project represents the seventh research initiative the fund has financially contributed to, often by pooling resources with other charities.