Children's National Medical Centre, home of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation on the Sheikh Zayed Campus for Advanced Paediatric Medicine in Washington, D.C., USA, has discovered a method to cure neuroblastoma tumours in mice.

This discovery opens the door for future clinical studies for a therapeutic patient-specific vaccine to cure one of the most common childhood cancers. Neuroblastoma is the third most common tumour in childhood, and the most common cancer in babies younger than one year old.

Anthony Sandler, MD, the Principal Investigator of the Immunology initiative of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation led the study. Dr. Sandler said, "The work is part of a scientific effort to advance cancer immunotherapy by understanding how cancer cells change their behaviour and activate the immune system."

"Historically, tumour vaccines held much promise, but demonstrated little clinical success," Dr. Sandler and his team wrote. "Thus, the task of establishing an effective anti-tumour response in neuroblastoma has been daunting." However, with this most recent study finding, Dr. Sandler says this failed promise is changing.

Peter Kim, MD, CM, PhD, Vice President of the Sheikh Zayed Institute, said, "Since the establishment of the Sheikh Zayed Institute, our partnership with the government of Abu Dhabi is helping us reach new heights in the field of paediatric innovation. This research is an embodiment of how together, we can continue to harness the power of innovation to help children in the US, the UAE and around the world."

The study revealed that "knockdown'" of a DNA-protein inhibitor, known as ID-2, in aggressive high-risk solid tumours, resulted in activation of T-cells.
Source: WAM