Research Stories – Bringing research to life

As part of September Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we asked Zoe to tell us about a golden moment in her research. Zoe talks about her project that looks into identifying new treatments for children with rhabdomyosarcoma. Rhabdomyosarcoma resembles skeletal muscle and can appear anywhere in the body. The outcomes for some children with this disease are extremely poor, however treatment has remained unchanged for over 20 years. Zoë is testing to see if a protein she has found that is present in this cancer type reacts to drugs recently developed for the treatment of other types of childhood cancer. The aim is to discover more targeted treatments that are not only more effective but also limit the harmful side effects of current treatments. About Rhabdomyosarcoma

  Dr Yann Jamin is conducting a research project to improve treatment of neuroblastomas. This cancer type can arise anywhere along the nervous system in the body and is the second most common solid tumour in children. For neuroblastoma survivors, life is likely to be full of challenges and disabilities due to the long-term effects of current treatment. More effective and safer treatments are urgently needed. Yann’s project focusses on MRI technology – more advanced MRI scans can give information about a tumour that will lead to more effective treatments. About Neuroblastoma