Its mission: Bring together 2 separate scientific fields - genomics and immunotherapy - to find cures for many of the most hard-to-treat childhood cancers.
“Lightning in a bottle” - That’s how experts have described this team and its incredibly fast impact. The Dream Team has
Now that work continues, funded by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation in partnership with the 9 member institutions. It is proud to remain part of the SU2C Dream Team Community.
These institutions participate in the Dream Team and help to fund it:
This is big science. They’re asking us to think outside the box, to do things that we can’t do with any of the standard funding mechanisms that are available.
Bring together two scientific areas that have been evolving on parallel tracks:
Genomics
the study of genes and their functions
Immunotherapeutics
using the body’s own immune system to attack cancer
The Dream Team has already been wildly successful at using discoveries in genomics to create groundbreaking new immunotherapies for some blood cancers. Now the team aims to learn why these new therapies don’t yet work for all kids - and to discover new therapies for solid tumors, including some that almost no child survives today.
See the Progress
Researchers will first use genomics to discover the most strategic targets the immune system should attack, to kill cancer cells and leave healthy cells alone.
Once those targets are discovered, the team will develop the weapons the immune system can use to attack them.
To test these new therapies and make them available to kids everywhere, the team will conduct clinical trials involving multiple institutions across North America.
We are very pleased to be able to continue the work we began with funding from SU2C and St. Baldrick’s. Continuing support from St. Baldrick’s will enable us to further capitalize on discoveries in the first 4 years with a more refined focus on developing novel immunotherapy clinical trials for children with high-risk cancers.
