MADISON, Wis. — Researchers at American Family Children’s Hospital are participating in a new first-in-humans clinical trial for children with relapsed or refectory neuroblastoma.
The new trial, which is being conducted by University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health researchers, is investigating a combination of radiation therapy and immunotherapy to treat the deadly tumors, according to a news release.
Neuroblastoma is one of the most common solid tumors in children. Patients who are classified as high-risk (roughly 40% of those diagnosed) have less than a 50% survival rate, UW Health officials said.
According to the release, the trial is partly based on lab work done at UW-Madison by Paul Sondel, MD, PhD, professor of pediatrics and human oncology, and Zachary Morris, MD, PhD, assistant professor of human oncology. Sondel and Kenneth DeSantes, MD, professor of pediatrics, are the trial’s co-principal investigators.
“We are delighted to get this clinical trial, which is a great example of ‘bench to bedside’ research, up and running at AFCH,” DeSantes said. “We hope this treatment will offer new hope to children with relapsed neuroblastoma, who currently face a dismal prognosis.”
Officials said pre-clinical research in mice showed that the combination of radiation therapy and immunotherapy was curative.
The trial first started in England. AFCH is the only center in the U.S. to offer the new clinical therapy.
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