Over the next five years, UF researchers will receive $1 million to fight children’s cancer.
Stop Children’s Cancer, a Gainesville-based nonprofit, pledged $1 million Tuesday to fund UF Health Shands Hospital’s pediatric cancer clinical trials, said Chris Conner, the president of the organization. Representatives from both groups signed an agreement at the hospital Tuesday morning.
The nonprofit, which fundraises through golf tournaments, auctions and holiday events, will donate the money over five years in $200,000 installments, Conner said. Out of each installment, $150,000 will be used for general pediatric cancer clinical trials. The other $50,000 will fund a trial for osteosarcoma and Ewing’s sarcoma, which are both bone tumors.
Conner said they’re funding the bone tumor trials because researchers said they’re close to a breakthrough.
“Our board has a very simple mission and that’s to stop children’s cancer,” Conner said.
The nonprofit has previously pledged money to Shands. Seven years ago, they pledged $1.05 million, of which the final installment will be completed this year.
Ed Jimenez, Shands CEO, said the past and current pledges will be put to good use at the hospital.
“I can’t tell you the number of people it’s bene ted,” Jimenez said. “It’s in the multitudes.”
Tuesday’s pledge will fund clinical trials focusing on immunotherapy methods, said William Slayton, chief of pediatric hematology and oncology at Shands. Some involve training cells to attack tumorous cells, while others combine two types of cells, creating a “supercell” to use as a weapon against malignant ones.
Conner said he’s happy with the work UF researchers have done.
“We’ll never be there when the light goes on, but we’ll know our fingerprints were on this whole quest for the cure,” Conner said.
Contact Jimena Tavel at jtavel@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @taveljimena
