Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a childhood cancer of the nerves, which occurs in very young children usually less than 5 years of age.
While some patients respond well to therapy, unfortunately half of all patients ultimately relapse with aggressive, drug-resistant tumours. The problem in these patients is that minor groups of cells have unique genetic characteristics that allow survival against chemotherapy, so eventually the tumour comes back.
In Dr Daniel Carter’s project in 2017, new technology was used to explore the genetics of individual neuroblastoma cells. His approach of modifying cancer cells grown in the lab to contain tracking barcodes, allowing an understanding of the genetic links between drug-resistant cancer cells.
Daniel and his team at CCI (Children's Cancer Institute) have now identified new genetic mechanisms that underlie cancer cell adaptation. The next step in this research is to assess the genetic links between cells whilst under drug selection pressure, so we will learn the exact adaptive mechanisms of drug resistance.
With your support, we are coming closer to identify new drug targets that can be used in highly specific therapy that halts cancer cells adapting whilst preventing tumour relapse.
