Cancer research could be 'set back years' due to COVID-19

It takes months to regrow research to where it was in March

It takes months to regrow research to where it was in March

I'm going to just briefly open the door and let you just visualized people working in the hoods. So that's where the work actually gets done. Dr. Suzanne Wells is playing catch up at Cincinnati Children's Cancer Research Lab. Nothing is the way we left it. She runs this facility that finds cancer treatments used worldwide. The incubators that you see there's four of them are the ones that are holding cells and organize, you know, patient cultures. Their research requires the growth of organ oId, a representation of tissue where they grow a copy of a patient's cancer. This allows them to test what kills those cancer cells, and that has a potential impact on that patient and other patients like him or her. This research also looks for a cure, but organ oId require constant care to survive. And with two months out of the lab during quarantine, their organ Oise died. Now they're starting from square one. How much is this going to set your research back? And I would just say many months, two years off. Last time I'm more focused on the fundraising aspect of the charity. Brooke Desa, Rick's daughter, Elena, died 13 years ago to brain cancer. And now she is fighting her own breast cancer battle and knows just how important this research is. She was diagnosed with D I p g. And at that time there was no treatments out there. No options, no research. And it floored us. So she started. The cure starts now an organization to give families of childhood cancer patients the science that Elena didn't get. A lot of these families want to turn their grief for their pain of being diagnosed into, um, helping with research. For many of these kids, their surgeries were either canceled or their tissue donations didn't hold up a devastating loss for everyone. It doesn't matter how much work you've lost, you have to restart it, and you have to fit it within the same timeframe with the same funding. Now, this isn't all bad. There are ways that you can help. The cure starts now, is actually doing a fundraiser during childhood Cancer awareness month. Right now, part of that money that you donate is gonna help restart these projects and fund new ones as well. Meghan Mitchell, wlwt news five Mhm. Yeah,

Cancer research could be 'set back years' due to COVID-19

It takes months to regrow research to where it was in March

The coronavirus has changed the lives of many in a lot of ways, one of them being the delayed progress in cancer research. Sister station WLWT went inside the Children's Hospital Cancer Center in Ohio to get a better understanding of just how bad a toll this is taking.Dr. Susanne Wells runs the Cincinnati Children's Research Center lab that finds cancer treatments used worldwide.Their research requires the growth of organoids, a representation of tissue where they grow a copy of a patient's cancer.This allows them to test what kills the cancer cells. "And that has a potential impact on patients," said Wells.This research also looks for a cure.Organoids require constant care to survive, and with two months out of the lab during quarantine, their organoids died. Now, they're starting from square one.Wells said it will take "many months to years of lost time" to get back to where they were in March, before the pandemic.Brooke Desserich's daughter Elena died 13 years ago to brain cancer.She's now fighting her own breast cancer battle, and knows how important this research is."At that time there was no treatments out there, no options, no research and it floored us," said Desserich, who is the executive director and co-founder of The Cure Starts Now.That's why she started The Cure Starts Now, an organization to give families of childhood cancer the science that Elena didn't get."A lot of these families wanna turn their grief of pain of being diagnosed into research," Desserich said. For many of these kids, their surgeries were either canceled or their tissue donations were lost which was a devastating loss for everyone."It doesn't matter how much work you've lost, you have to restart it and you have to fit it in the same time frame with the same funding," said Wells.There is a way people can help. The Cure Starts Now is doing a fundraiser during childhood cancer awareness month, which is recognized in September.Part of the money donated goes to help restart these projects and fund new ones. Visit thecurestartsnow.org to donate.

The coronavirus has changed the lives of many in a lot of ways, one of them being the delayed progress in cancer research.

Sister station WLWT went inside the Children's Hospital Cancer Center in Ohio to get a better understanding of just how bad a toll this is taking.

Dr. Susanne Wells runs the Cincinnati Children's Research Center lab that finds cancer treatments used worldwide.

Their research requires the growth of organoids, a representation of tissue where they grow a copy of a patient's cancer.

This allows them to test what kills the cancer cells.

"And that has a potential impact on patients," said Wells.

This research also looks for a cure.

Organoids require constant care to survive, and with two months out of the lab during quarantine, their organoids died.

Now, they're starting from square one.

Wells said it will take "many months to years of lost time" to get back to where they were in March, before the pandemic.

Brooke Desserich's daughter Elena died 13 years ago to brain cancer.

She's now fighting her own breast cancer battle, and knows how important this research is.

"At that time there was no treatments out there, no options, no research and it floored us," said Desserich, who is the executive director and co-founder of The Cure Starts Now.

That's why she started The Cure Starts Now, an organization to give families of childhood cancer the science that Elena didn't get.

"A lot of these families wanna turn their grief of pain of being diagnosed into research," Desserich said.

For many of these kids, their surgeries were either canceled or their tissue donations were lost which was a devastating loss for everyone.

"It doesn't matter how much work you've lost, you have to restart it and you have to fit it in the same time frame with the same funding," said Wells.

There is a way people can help. The Cure Starts Now is doing a fundraiser during childhood cancer awareness month, which is recognized in September.

Part of the money donated goes to help restart these projects and fund new ones.

Visit thecurestartsnow.org to donate.

Cancer research could be 'set back years' due to COVID-19

It takes months to regrow research to where it was in March

TRACKING THE COVID-19 VACCINE