This trial is co-funded by the Enfants sans Cancer 2020 race and was selected following the Fight Kids Cancer call for projects that we launched in January 2020.
About Neuroblastomas
A neuroblastoma is a malignant extracerebral tumor that develops from primitive nerve cells called neuroblasts, which normally form the body’s nerve cells. This type of solid tumor is one of the most common in children.
This disease accounts for 10% of solid tumors in children under 15 years old and primarily affects young children, as it is usually diagnosed before the age of five (90% of cases). More than half of the children present with metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. The exact causes of neuroblastoma are unknown, but it seems that genetic and environmental factors play a role in its onset.
Learn more about this disease: Link
About Restrain
Refractory or high-risk neuroblastomas still cause too many deaths in children. We have supported numerous programs, including BEACON, to better treat these children. Despite these efforts, it is clear that it is necessary to develop precision molecular medicine treatments that target the alterations of each tumor type. For this, it is important to explore the role of different alterations and whether their targeting brings significant therapeutic benefits. The researchers involved in this project are trying to identify the oncogenic role and therapeutic interest of a new target, RRM2. This protein is believed to play a role in the survival of cancer cells by allowing them to withstand significant stress. This project aims to explore its role in the onset and development of neuroblastomas in preclinical models and whether targeting it is effective against neuroblastoma development. All these experiments are ongoing, and new mouse models expressing the RRM2 anomaly have been generated.
Project Summary
- Coordinating Investigators: Drs. Frank Speleman & Louis Chesler
- Program Duration: January 2021 – January 2025
- Countries Involved: France
- Funding: Fight Kids Cancer: €500,000, including funding from Imagine for Margo: €239,448
