“This is what VeloSano funding is for: to get those ideas and give them a little bit of traction so that they'll take off to make a real impact.”
Cancer can be incredibly dangerous because it deceives the body’s immune system, disguising itself as healthy cells. This allows cancer cells to grow and spread, posing a significant challenge for treatment and recovery.
When it comes to kids, the immune system changes drastically as they age, making it even more difficult to treat pediatric cancers effectively. This led Matteo Trucco, MD, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s, to launch a long-term investigation that aims to understand how the immune system evolves in children with cancer.
“We’re studying how the body’s defenses might impact how kids develop cancer, how they respond to therapy and, heaven forbid the cancer comes back, how the body’s defenses played a role in that,” says Dr. Trucco.
Dr. Trucco, together with Jos Melenhorst, PhD, received a VeloSano grant to launch a study where their team will gather blood samples from young patients over the course of their healing journey. By examining immune cells and identifying biomarkers, they intend to characterize the patients’ immune systems as they respond to therapy. This valuable knowledge will be instrumental in developing more effective treatments.
“The more samples we have, the more we can learn and the more impact we can have in developing new treatments,” says Dr. Trucco. “It’s really hard to sit in front of a family and a child to tell them, ‘You have cancer, a potentially fatal disease,’ especially when treatment options are very limited.”
Dr. Trucco understands the needs of his patients firsthand, which drives his support for Trike & Bike. This initiative not only raises essential funds for pediatric cancer research but also brings the community together in a meaningful way.
“At Trike & Bike, you see the whole community rallying behind pediatric cancer research,” says Dr. Trucco. “It’s fantastic to see children participating for the benefit of other children. And we really try to make them realize that what they’re doing makes a difference.”
Dr. Trucco’s dedication to improving patient outcomes is evident in his daily work. His passion for research fuels his determination to make a lasting impact.
“Research brings that hope and brings that inspiration,” says Dr. Trucco. “For me, it is an outlet to make things better and what can I do so that I don’t have to have this same conversation five or ten years from now. I can have a better conversation.”
100% For The Cure
