Six-year-old’s death leads to hope of new drug for childhood cancer
by Robin McKie, Observer Science Editor from Science | The Guardian on (#4SWCE)
Parents of Abbie Mifsud created the charity that has funded vital research on brain stem tumours
Researchers say they are close to testing a drug that could tackle a previously untreatable childhood brain cancer. The condition is known as DIPG - diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma - and every year it affects between 30 to 40 boys and girls, aged between five and 10. All develop tumours caused by the condition and die, often within months of their diagnoses.
But now scientists believe they may soon be able to tackle the condition - and one of the key organisations involved is a remarkable charity set up by Amanda and Ray Mifsud, whose daughter Abbie died of DIPG in 2011. Their charity, Abbie's Army, has raised money that has provided vital backing for research by Professor Chris Jones, of the Institute of Cancer Research, London.
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