Thank you
Research
Understanding the origins of medulloblastoma (Dr Laure Bihannic)
Despite only starting to raise funds in March 2019, we have raised an amazing £115,000. Part of this funded 6 months of a study into the genetic origins of Will’s cancer – Medulloblastoma.
To create effective preclinical tumour models, it is imperative to know the cells from which the tumours originate. While it is known which cells WNT and SHH medulloblastomas arise from, the cellular origins of Groups 3 and 4 remain unknown. The aim of this research project, led by Dr Laure Bihannic, is to understand which cells give rise to Groups 3 and 4 medulloblastomas and use this knowledge to create accurate preclinical models for these subgroups. You can read more about this project here, or read the full report here.
Trial Committee Member for the up coming SIOP-HRMB Trial
Our Chair, Will’s dad is sitting as a Committee member for SIOP-HRMB, an international prospective trial on clinically high-risk medulloblastoma (HR-MB) in patients older than 3 years. Its goals are to evaluate new treatment methods against the existing standard high-risk protocols and ultimately improve treatment effectiveness and reduce the the negative side effects of therapy.
INSTINCT
INSTINCT is a £3.2m, 5 year joint collaboration between the main UK Brain Tumour Research Centres in the UK and the primary research programme into high-risk paediatric brain tumours. It aims to bridge the gap between biological discovery and clinical practice by developing tailored and targeted treatments for these high-risk brain tumours. Covid-19 has significantly impacted the income of INSTINCT’s main charity funders and the future funding picture is uncertain. Little Hero has partnered with another brain tumour family charity Blue Skye Thinking, to fund the next year of research into the Medullobalstoma arm of the programme. This is a major investment but it is critically needed based on the importance of the INSTINCT programme. You can read the latest press release here.
Please help us continue to fund vital research and support families
Research is the only way we will discover kinder, more effective treatments and, ultimately, stamp out brain tumours – for good! However, brain tumours are complex and research in to them takes a great deal of time and money.
Across the UK, over 500 families are facing the overwhelming diagnosis of a brain tumour every year, and it is only through the generosity of people like you can we continue to help them.
But, by setting up a regular gift – as little as £2 per month - you can ensure that families no longer face this destructive disease.