Band of Parents

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The Band of Parents is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Formed in July 2007 and incorporated in October 2007, it was founded by approximately 100 parents of young children with neuroblastoma who were treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Its purpose is to fund the development of new therapies for neuroblastoma that would not otherwise be pursued by research institutions or the pharmaceutical industry. The organization has become the largest single funder of neuroblastoma research at MSKCC. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is a form of childhood cancer that can develop at any age but typically presents between the ages of 18 months and five years. It affects a little over 600 children per year in the United States. Most are diagnosed with stage IV disease, the most advanced form. Even with aggressive therapy, stage IV neuroblastoma carries a poor prognosis, with a three-year survival rate of 30–40%. [7]

Compared with other types of cancer, neuroblastoma is rare. Scientific advances have allowed the development of individualized treatments, with techniques such as immunotherapy being targeted to specific kinds of cancer. However, because of the rising cost of drug development, which is approaching $1 billion, pharmaceutical companies are not likely to develop drugs that are specific to neuroblastoma or other rare disorders.[ citation needed ]

Projects

The Band of Parents' first project was the development of a humanized antibody, Hu3F8.

In addition to surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, many neuroblastoma patients at MSKCC were treated with a murine (mouse-derived) monoclonal antibody called 3F8. Given intravenously, 3F8 binds specifically to neuroblastoma cells and triggers an immune response, which destroys the cancerous cells. Because the antibody also binds to peripheral nerve cells, the treatment is painful, but it is generally without long-term complications. However, its use is limited by the body's eventual development of human anti-murine antibody, which neutralizes the effects. The Band of Parents raised $2–$3 million to fund the genetic engineering of the murine cell line that produces 3F8 so that it would produce a new antibody, Hu3F8, using human genes. Hu3F8 has the same benefits as 3F8, but because it is 98% human, it does not cause a neutralizing immune response. In theory, this should allow patients to be treated with it indefinitely. [8]

In March 2013, the Band of Parents led a group of nonprofit organizations in providing a $2 million grant to MSKCC to fund the development of a bispecific monoclonal antibody targeting neuroblastoma. [1]

The organization's other projects have included the Loneliest Road Campaign, [9] a 3,000-mile, 19-day bicycle ride across the US by six fathers of children in active treatment; a bake sale with cookies made by the children, their families and supporters; [10] and The BoP Shop, an online store featuring artwork by children with neuroblastoma.

In 2012, the Band of Parents began an annual gala event called the Evening of Hope, which has become its primary fundraiser. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center</span> Treatment and research hospital in New York City

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is a cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1884 as the New York Cancer Hospital. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. It had already been renamed and relocated, to its present site, when the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research was founded in 1945, and built adjacent to the hospital. The two medical entities formally coordinated their operations in 1960, and formally merged as a single entity in 1980. Its main campus is located at 1275 York Avenue between 67th and 68th Streets in Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GD2</span> Chemical compound

GD2 is a disialoganglioside expressed on tumors of neuroectodermal origin, including human neuroblastoma and melanoma, with highly restricted expression on normal tissues, principally to the cerebellum and peripheral nerves in humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monoclonal antibody therapy</span> Form of immunotherapy

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have varied therapeutic uses. It is possible to create a mAb that binds specifically to almost any extracellular target, such as cell surface proteins and cytokines. They can be used to render their target ineffective, to induce a specific cell signal, to cause the immune system to attack specific cells, or to bring a drug to a specific cell type.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Baselga</span> Spanish oncologist (1959–2021)

Josep Baselga i Torres, known in Spanish as José Baselga, was a Spanish medical oncologist and researcher focused on the development of novel molecular targeted agents, with a special emphasis in breast cancer. Through his career he was associated with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Oncology, and the Massachusetts General Hospital in their hematology and oncology divisions. He led the development of the breast cancer treatment Herceptin, a monoclonal antibody, that targets the HER2 protein, which is impacted in aggressive breast cancers.

William S. Breitbart, FAPM, is an American psychiatrist in Psychosomatic Medicine, Psycho-oncology, and Palliative Care. He is the Jimmie C Holland Chair in Psychiatric Oncology, and the Chief of the Psychiatry Service, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, He is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. He was president of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine, and the Editor-in-Chief of Palliative and Supportive Care.

3F8 is a murine IgG3 monoclonal antibody which binds to GD2.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Mendelsohn (doctor)</span>

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Robert E. Wittes was Physician-in-Chief of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, from 2002 until December 31, 2012. Prior to his appointment at MSKCC, he was Deputy Director for Extramural Sciences and Director of the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the National Cancer Institute, where he oversaw NCI's extramural clinical and basic research programs, including the evaluation of new therapeutics, diagnostics, and translational research. Wittes is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Federation for Medical Research. In addition to his institutional affiliations, Dr. Wittes has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and Oncology. He has served on the editorial boards of Clinical Cancer Research, Current Opinion in Oncology, The American Journal of Clinical Oncology; Cancer Investigation, and The International Journal of Radiation Oncology-Biology & Physics, among others.

George Bosl is an American cancer researcher, holder of the Patrick M. Byrne Chair in Clinical Oncology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and is a professor of medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College. In 1997, he was appointed chair of the Department of Medicine at Sloan-Kettering, a position which he held until 2015. In 2019, he was named Memorial Sloan Kettering's first ombudsperson.

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Targeted molecular therapy for neuroblastoma involves treatment aimed at molecular targets that have a unique expression in this form of cancer. Neuroblastoma, the second most common pediatric malignant tumor, often involves treatment through intensive chemotherapy. A number of molecular targets have been identified for the treatment of high-risk forms of this disease. Aiming treatment in this way provides a more selective way to treat the disease, decreasing the risk for toxicities that are associated with the typical treatment regimen. Treatment using these targets can supplement or replace some of the intensive chemotherapy that is used for neuroblastoma. These molecular targets of this disease include GD2, ALK, and CD133. GD2 is a target of immunotherapy, and is the most fully developed of these treatment methods, but is also associated with toxicities. ALK has more recently been discovered, and drugs in development for this target are proving to be successful in neuroblastoma treatment. The role of CD133 in neuroblastoma has also been more recently discovered and is an effective target for treatment of this disease.

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Dinutuximab and dinutuximab beta are monoclonal antibodies used as a second-line treatment for children with high-risk neuroblastoma. Each antibody is made of both mouse and human components and targets glycolipid GD2, expressed on neuroblastoma cells and on normal cells of neuroectodermal origin, including the central nervous system and peripheral nerves. They differ in that dinutuximab is manufactured using mouse cells, and dinutuximab beta is manufactured using hamster cells. The dosing regime differs, and dinutuximab is given in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), interleukin-2 (IL-2) and 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA), while dinutuximab beta can be given alone.

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Jeffrey Drebin is a surgeon and scientist. He serves as the Department of Surgery Chair at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">June Biedler</span> American scientist

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References

  1. 1 2 "Father of Talia Castellano seeks cure for cancer". New York Daily News. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "The Honor Roll - Giving to Memorial Sloan Kettering". mskcc.convio.net. Archived from the original on 2 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center : 2011 Annual Report" (PDF). Mskcc.org. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
  4. ↑ "Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center : 2011 Annual Report" (PDF). p. 52.
  5. ↑ "Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center : 2012 ANNUAL REPORT" (PDF). Mskcc.org. Retrieved 28 June 2019.
  6. ↑ "Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center 2012 Annual Report" (PDF). Mskcc.org. p. 27.
  7. ↑ Schmidt ML, Lal A, Seeger RC, et al. (September 2005). "Favorable prognosis for patients 12 to 18 months of age with stage 4 nonamplified MYCN neuroblastoma: a Children's Cancer Group Study". J. Clin. Oncol. 23 (27): 6474–80. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2005.05.183 . PMID   16116154.
  8. ↑ "Humanized 3F8 Monoclonal Antibody (Hu3F8) in Patients With High-Risk Neuroblastoma and GD2-Positive Tumors - Full Text View". Clinicaltrials.gov. 24 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "The Loneliest Road Campaign". Loneliestroad.org.
  10. ↑ "Childhood Cancer Foundation - Cookies for Kids' Cancer - Donate to Childhood Cancer Research". Cookies for Kids' Cancer.
  11. ↑ "The Band of Parents, Evening of Hope Benefit, Raising over $150,000 f…". Archived from the original on 30 July 2013.
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