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International Collaboration: World Leaders in Neuroblastoma Genomics Come Together for Landmark Meeting

October 1-2, 2007 National Institutes of Health

Rockville, MD, October 01, 2007 — HSK awarded a $25,000 educational research grant to the National Institute of Health to host a landmark international conference on Neuroblastoma. World leaders in the field of translational genomics came together for this meeting which took place at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland on October 1 - 2, 2007. The conference was chaired by Dr. Javed Kahn, National Cancer Institute, and Dr. John Maris, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and focused on Translational Genomics in Neuroblastoma (TGiN). Researchers and clinicians of international renown in the field met to share information on the state-of-the-art research about neuroblastoma genomics, to foster collaborations, and discuss how to rapidly translate genomic research to the treatment, particularly for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma is the second most common pediatric solid tumor (after brain tumors) and represents a major therapeutic challenge. More than 50 percent of children with advanced disease still die despite aggressive, toxic chemotherapy regimens. Hope Street Kids was founded in memory of Caroline Pryce Walker, who lost a valiant battle against this disease.

“We have seen that our most effective efforts come when we pool our time, resources and energies to improve the treatment and care of children suffering from cancer,” said HSK Co-founder Congresswoman Deborah Pryce. “This conference is an opportunity to bring together the greatest minds in Neuroblastoma genomic research to share ideas, data and resources and plan a unified approach to developing translation strategies and treatments. Only when each and every one of us makes a commitment to work together in a partnership to fight this critical battle will we be able to say, ‘No child will fall victim to cancer.’”

Hope Street Kids, a pediatric initiative of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, salute the efforts of the leaders coming together.


This educational research award was made possible by Wal-Mart.


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