On January 21, Michael and Angelo Carbone joined Dr. Kevin Mullins at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) to present a check for $25,000.00 to Dr. Alea Mills whose lab is doing research on glioblastoma (GBM).
GBM is a fast-growing and aggressive primary brain tumor. GBMs are a devastating type of brain cancer with an average survival of 12 to 18 months even with maximal treatment, which typically includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, very few patients survive more than five years.
Dr. Mills’ team has been doing research on GBM and has identified a new potential target for treating this most common brain cancer. This target—dubbed Protein X—acts to maintain GBM malignancy by crippling tumor-preventing pathways that would otherwise slow cell growth. The Mills lab is working to find out how Protein X makes GBMs grow unchecked, to assess how depletion of this target impacts these cancer cells, and to determine the effectiveness of targeting this protein to shut down GBM growth and to prolong survival. This research will hopefully pave the way for more successful therapies for people with this devastating malignancy.
The Darlene Carbone Brain Tumor Foundation (DCBTF) was created in Darlene’s memory to provide knowledge and support to both families and patients regarding brain tumors. Their goal is to bring the same degree of love, loyalty, and friendship that Darlene brought to her family, friends and coworkers every day of her life. It is the hope that this generous gift will be the start of a collaboration between CSHL and many other families in foundations hoping for a cure for this terrible disease.