Will you help us find a treatment for childhood bone cancer?
Each year, people around the world will endure a disease that disproportionately affects children, is poorly understood, can only be fought with brutal treatments and from which there is little hope of survival.
But Dr Darrell Green at UEA thinks he can change that:
Current treatments for bone cancer are debilitating and carry long-term side effects for those who do survive - limb amputation is common. We're developing a new treatment that specifically targets cancer cells and leaves the rest of the body alone.
Not only could Dr Green's research help spare those with bone cancer from life-altering treatments, but it could also save lives. The five-year survival rate for bone cancer stands at just 40% - that means 3 in 5 children diagnosed will not live to see out their childhood. However, Dr Green and his team have discovered a novel molecule that could stop the spread and the aggressiveness of bone cancer. Dr Green calls this molecule 'Bensofib'.
Bensofib is ready to be tested
Initial trials have shown that Bensofib is effective in stopping the spread of bone cancer, but the next step is to prove this in clinical trials with patients. To do that, the team are looking for funding to produce the molecule on a mass scale and to carry out vital toxicology studies, to discover the safest and most effective dose of Bensofib. Childhood bone cancer research is critically underfunded compared to other types of cancer and receives almost no investment from traditional avenues of funding, so the team are hoping to raise the money they need through the generosity of philanthropists.
The work that we've carried out so far was the biggest breakthrough in 40 years (since chemotherapy was introduced) and it was only possible thanks to philanthropy. I hope UEA's generous supporters can help us reach our next goal and make a real difference to the lives of those affected by bone cancer.
How you can help
Please donate now to Childhood Bone Cancer Research. Your support could help fund the toxicology and clinical trials needed to test Bensofib and make this treatment available to start saving lives as soon as possible.
To find out more or to make a larger gift, please get in touch with the Development Office by email at giving@uea.ac.uk or by telephone on +44(0)7342 056 328.