September 8th, 2018: At his Philadelphia show, Harry Styles donated the proceeds from the sale of the “Treat people with Kindness” hair ties to the Center for Childhood Cancer Research at the Children Hospital of Philadelphia.
The Center for Childhood Cancer Research was founded in 2007 at the Children Hospital in Philadelphia as a research center specialized in childhood cancer. The Institute brings together the best basic science and clinical researchers in the field of childhood cancer with the goal of “eradicating the pain and suffering caused by cancer in children”. The strength of this institute is its multidisciplinary approach where all types of childhood cancer and all aspects related to cancer in children, including the psychological consequences of the disease, are investigated to find the best therapeutical approach possible. The fact that the institute is part of the Children Hospital makes it possible for the newest research to be translated immediately into clinical trials.
Some of the areas of research that are the focus of the work done at the Center for Childhood Cancer Research are neuroblastoma, neuro-oncology, retinoblastoma, leukemia, the genetics of childhood cancer, solid tumors, and cancer pathobiology. The psychological consequences of the diseases are also investigated both in children and young adults, as well as cancer survivorship including the long-term health effects of chemotherapy. For example, one research area focuses on the effects of cancer treatment on fertility.
One of the recent breakthrough discovery from one of the research teams at the Center for Childhood Cancer Research is that the genetics of childhood cancer is substantially different from the genetics of cancer in adults. Using DNA samples from over 1,700 childhood cancer patients and comparing them with a pool of DNA samples from adult patients, the team discovered that only 45% of the genes involved in the disease is shared between the two groups. This finding highlights that cancer in children is biologically different from cancer in adults and therefore it should be treated using different therapeutic approaches. This finding underscores, even more, the need to investigate the biological bases of childhood cancer and not rely on what is known for cancer in adults for designing treatments.
The work at the Center for Childhood Cancer Research is supported primarily by philanthropic donations. Donations can be large and made by corporations or organizations, but also small and made by individuals. To learn more about how you can help, visit the Center for Childhood Cancer Research donation page.
Pictures and images are shared from the Center for Childhood Cancer Research website and Twitter account. Harry Styles picture was taken by Helene Pambrun and is shared from his twitter account.
A Charitable Direction 