A Kids` Brain Tumor Cure Foundation: driving forward research for
Transcription
A Kids` Brain Tumor Cure Foundation: driving forward research for
Reprinted with permission from the 2016/2017 world edition of Brain Tumour magazine. See www.theibta.org A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure Foundation: driving forward research for the most common forms of pediatric brain tumors Amy J. Weinstein, Executive Director A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure, United States BRAIN tumors are the number one cause of cancer-related death in children and current treatments are toxic, cause permanent cognitive and physical impairments, and severely diminish the quality of life for children who are battling brain tumors. When four families founded A Kids’ Brain Tumor Cure Foundation (AKBTC), also known as the Pediatric Low Grade Astrocytoma (PLGA) Foundation, in 2007, their goals included bringing awareness to this disease while raising research dollars for an area that has been woefully underfunded and under-researched. According to Dr. Charles Stiles, PhD, Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Dana-Farber/ Harvard Cancer Center’s program on Brain Cancer Research: “Pediatric low grade astrocytomas have, by and large, escaped the attention of the biomedical research community. The lack of government and pharmaceutical industry sponsored research has led to a lack of mouse models and clinical tissue samples. In order to understand pediatric astrocytomas, we have to change this. The support and long-term commitment of AKBTC Foundation is crucial to the development of new, lifesaving therapies.” Searching for a cure Over the last nine years, AKBTC has been a driving force in the search for pediatric brain cancer causes and treatments, raising over US $15.5 million, which has been leveraged to 100 Brain Tumour drive forward a targeted research agenda and accelerate the pace of scientific research. With AKBTC support, the first-ever dedicated PLGA research program was established at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Targeted scientific studies at 23 other medical institutions around the globe have been funded. Project grants vary in duration and award amount, and funding for over three dozen basic and translational research grants and four clinical trials has helped drive interest in this disease sector and attract many of the most talented scientific/ clinical minds in the world. Moreover, AKBTC has galvanized the international research community to focus on this rare disease by sponsoring six international pediatric neuro-oncology conferences, resulting in four international research collaborations. While providing ‘seed funding’ for researchers to test the most promising novel concepts is the impetus for AKBTC funding, the ultimate goal is for the researchers to not only prove efficacy of their research, but to follow up with a successful grant application to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Within the last five years, four research projects have resulted in NCI approved funding, thereby resulting in an additional US $15 $20 million in funds available. Pushing the boundaries “Due to AKBTC’s seed funding, we have made critical progress on promising research which will drive our application for significant funding from the NCI,” said Miguel Rivera, MD, Assistant Professor of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Cancer Research in the United States. With the guidance of a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of medical/scientific experts from a wide range of 'best in class’ medical institutions and disciplines within the oncology field, AKBTC continues to push the boundaries of traditional science/clinical thinking to find common genetic alterations in PLGA and other brain tumors, which will enable the design of more personalized and effective treatments for Reprinted with permission from the 2016/2017 world edition of Brain Tumour magazine. See www.theibta.org Above: Young PLGA brain tumor survivors/supporters at the Geared Up For Kids fundraising event children battling all forms of brain tumours. “Changing the landscape for this disease has not been easy, and certainly would not have been possible without the incredible support of individuals and families from across the globe that have recognized the need for a focused research agenda in order to bring hope to those children that are battling today…and tomorrow,” said AKBTC Board President, AJ Janower. He added: “Only through our united fundraising efforts have we been able to support the researchers who are determined to make a difference.” Collaboration across the globe Whether a family creates a personal fundraising page, holds a community event or joins one of AKBTC’s existing fundraising events, the collective impact has been astonishing. Working together, uniting new families and new friends under one fundraising and awareness-raising umbrella will continue to ensure that AKBTC can support the most promising research projects in the future. AKBTC actively promotes partnerships with other non-profit organizations, families, individuals, government entities, as well as public and private medical institutions across the globe, in order to leverage collaborations, ensure the most productive use of funding resources and minimize duplicative research efforts, which might otherwise waste precious resources and further delay finding new treatments. Kick-starting these partnerships will accelerate the advances in research and treatment options available to all children battling brain tumors. We can’t fight this battle alone. ■ For further information, please visit the AKBTC website at www. akidsbraintumorcure.org or email them at [email protected] GFME 14 years Providing Support and Raising Awareness of Brain Tumours in Ireland www.braintumourireland.com Email: [email protected] GFME, Glioblastoma Fundation Michele Esnault, established in 2001 is a French-based (Marseille), patientoriented, support group involved in brain tumors. GFME translates and publishes in French scientific publications of Pubmed and ASCO on primary brain tumors. The association gives support, help, guidance on treatments and clinical trials for adults and children diagnosed with brain tumor. GFME works in partnership with ARTC, Brain Tumor Association For Research to rise funds. GFME is a website http://gfme.free.fr a quarterly magazine, a phone assistance (33) 04.91.64.55.86, and two mailing-lists ([email protected] and [email protected]).The group includes 650 patients, care givers, friends and family members around the globe. For more details [email protected] Brain Tumour 101
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