Researchers of UCA launch the project ‘Relapse 0: Mathematics against childhood leukemia’ 12 January 2018
Through the ‘Precipita’ platform, specialized in promoting the crowdfunding of science, a campaign that aims to help the development of this work to combat the disease is being promoted
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a type of blood cancer in which excessive amounts of immature lymphocytes (lymphoblasts) are produced. The cancer cells multiply rapidly and invade the normal cells of the bone marrow, preventing them from performing their normal function. Although the results of current treatments manage to cure 80% of affected children, relapse is still the fifth most frequent neoplasm in the pediatric age and one of the most lethal. That is, between 15 and 20% of children relapse in this disease.
This initiative, coordinated by Professor María Rosa Durán, belonging to the research group FQM-201: Theory of Bifurcations and Dynamic Systems of UCA, focuses on improving the risk classification of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia by means of mathematical algorithms, in order to anticipate resistance to treatments and avoid relapses. In addition, the researchers work on designing optimal therapeutic strategies that will cure more patients and/or reduce the toxicity of the treatments.
This novel and unique project could put on the table new patterns that would be able to predict the existence of possible relapses and thereby achieve complete remission of the disease.
Science and Solidarity
This project proposes a different financing strategy focused on PRECIPITA, a platform promoted by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), specialized in promoting the collective financing of science, that is, launching crowdfunding campaigns that help the development of different scientific investigations.
In this way, thanks to the support of citizens and private entities, it is intended to give new impetus and acceleration to the research. The money from these contributions will be mainly destined to a full-time research contract for a year to develop the mathematical algorithms that allow achieving the objectives of the project.
Donations can be made through the web: https://www.precipita.es/proyecto/recaida-0-matematicas-contra-la-leucemia-infantil.html or through a bank deposit to the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT) to the account number ES30 0182 2370 4102 0156 9294. For this, the name and last name of the individual who makes the economic contribution his ID, postal address and the name of the project in which he wants to collaborate must be indicated on the deposit.
More information: https://www.precipita.es