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Parents Fund New Hope for Childhood Cancer
6 Feb
Summary
- New research targets rare rhabdomyosarcoma in children.
- Research aims to develop safer and more effective treatments.
- Charity funding aims to boost the body's natural cancer fight.
A charity established in memory of a young boy is co-funding the first major research into a rare childhood cancer in four decades. Ben Crowther, aged 7, died in 2019 from rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer. His parents, Scott and Sarah, founded the Pass the Smile for Ben fund to support research and aid other young patients.
The Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) and Cancer UK are also backing the new investigation, which will take place at the University of Southampton. This research is seen as long overdue, as treatments for this cancer have seen limited funding and development over the past 40 years.
Led by Dr. Matthew Blunt, the research will explore CAR-NK therapy, a method that enhances natural killer (NK) immune cells to better target and destroy cancer. The team aims to understand why NK cells struggle against rhabdomyosarcoma and use these findings to develop treatments.
This initiative represents the seventh project financially supported by the Pass the Smile for Ben fund. The parents expressed excitement about the potential of this new research to make a significant difference for children battling this rare disease.
