SB Hotels Tarragona Marathon 2017 has set a charitable goal: to tear down the wall, the wall of childhood cancer. That is why the organization of the event, which will take place on Sunday January 22nd, has made possible for all runners to make a donation at the time of registration, which will go to the research project of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) on new therapeutic approaches in the fight against childhood sarcoma. The work, led by Dr. Òscar Martínez Tirado, is carried out in the research center of the city of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and is promoted with the collaboration of the University of Iowa.
Tear down the wall Despite being considered a rare disease, childhood cancer was the leading cause of death in children aged 1 to 9 years old in Spain during 2013. Childhood cancer encompasses a wide variety of oncological diseases with their own characteristics, but with a common mark: they are all developmental diseases. Within this group we find sarcomas, very aggressive solid tumors of the bones and connective tissues. Current treatments against this disease are ineffective and very toxic, and in fact represent a great wall to be overcome. Therefore, the search for new and better treatments that can cure patients without causing a morbidity that would lead to a very hard life is infinitely necessary and represents the only way to tear down this wall.
With this intention, and in collaboration with experts in nanomedicine, the research group in sarcomas of the IDIBELL works to develop highly specific molecules for the treatment of these tumors. Currently, the researchers intend to evaluate the efficacy and safety of specific multifunctional products for Ewing sarcoma cells and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma. These products consist of an RNA aptamer specific for a membrane receptor frequent in these sarcomas and an interference RNA directed against the fusion protein characteristic of the disease. This approach will most likely open new ways to develop safer and more effective personalized treatments for these patients.
In addition to the small donations that all runners can make at the time of registering for the race, the Tarragona Marathon is offering the full fee of ten registrations to the research project. These 100% charitable race numbers can be obtained by sending an email to fundraising@idibell.cat. The first ten runners who want to contribute to the investigation of childhood cancer with the whole of their registration fee will be given the possibility of acquiring it directly by making a donation to IDIBELL.