To mark International Clinical Trials Day (20 May), we are proud to announce our latest research grant award – pioneering research that could lay the foundations for a completely new way of treating high‑risk neuroblastoma, one of the most aggressive childhood cancers.
This £70,000 research grant, supported by two other charities, Joseph’s Smile and The Bradley Lowery Foundation (BLF), will enable scientists at the University of Bristol to explore a promising new treatment strategy that targets subtle molecular weaknesses in neuroblastoma cells.
Around 100 children in the UK are diagnosed with neuroblastoma each year. Despite intensive treatment, approximately half face a high‑risk form of the disease where long‑term survival rates remain unacceptably low. Progress depends on early‑stage research that can open the door to future clinical trials – making this collaboration especially timely.
Exploring a new therapeutic pathway
Led by Professor Karim Malik, the Bristol team aims to uncover subtle molecular weaknesses that drive the most aggressive neuroblastoma tumours. Unlike many adult cancers, neuroblastoma does not typically carry large numbers of genetic mutations. Instead, it appears to rely on more subtle changes within cancer cells – changes that may expose vulnerabilities researchers can target.
Early findings from Professor Malik’s team suggest that disrupting certain branches of fatty acid metabolism can dramatically reduce neuroblastoma cell survival. Such fatty acids can regulate how proteins function within cells, and neuroblastoma cells appear to be particularly dependent on these processes to survive and grow.
The project will investigate two drugs that interfere with fatty acid metabolism. Crucially, both drugs are already in clinical trials, raising the possibility that – if successful – this research could provide the springboard for the development of new rationalized treatments for neuroblastoma patients in the near future.
The research aims to lay the foundations for an entirely new treatment strategy for children with high‑risk neuroblastoma, and potentially other childhood cancers that share similar biological features.
Thank you for standing with us and helping us continue
Rosie’s legacy.
If you wish to make a direct contribution to this promising
project, please click below to donate.
“On International Clinical Trials Day, this collaboration shows the power of charities uniting behind a shared mission. By funding early stage research like this, we aim to accelerate discoveries that could genuinely transform the future for children and families affected by neuroblastoma. Rosie, Joseph and Bradley’s legacies drive us to push for better, kinder treatments.”
“This funding allows us to explore an exciting and under‑researched area of neuroblastoma biology. We are extremely grateful to CCRF, Joseph’s Smile and BLF for their support and for their commitment to improving outcomes for children with this devastating disease.”
“At BLF, we are proud to support this vital research. Progress will only come through research, and we hope this contribution helps create a future where more children survive cancer. Having lost Bradley to neuroblastoma, I know how desperately families need hope. Supporting research is one way of fighting for a future where fewer families endure that pain.”
“As a charity created in Joseph’s memory, we are incredibly proud to support this pioneering research. Backing innovative projects like this is at the heart of why we exist. Knowing that this work could one day lead to kinder, more effective treatments for children like my nephew Joseph, Rosie and Bradley gives us real hope, and we are honoured to stand alongside CCRF in driving progress forward.”
