The V Foundation for Cancer Research recently approved funding of a proposed study from a UK pediatric surgeon and researcher.

Eric Rellinger, MD, pediatric surgeon and researcher at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, received confirmation in early September that his research would receive funding of $600,000 over the next three years from the Dick Vitale Pediatric Cancer Research Fund.

Dr. Rellinger’s proposal, “Aberrant Fucosylation Regulates Neuroblastoma Tumor-Associated Macrophage Recruitment and Polarization,” is an extension of his work on treatment of neuroblastoma tumors, a form of cancer that mostly affects children between the ages of 1-5. Neuroblastoma accounts for about 6 percent of all childhood cancer cases. It is considered the most common form of cancer in infants, according to the American Cancer Society.

Earlier in 2023, Dr. Rellinger was awarded the Grosfeld Scholar Grant from the American Pediatric Surgical Association Foundation (APSAF) Board, which was also in support of his research in neuroblastoma.

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded by ESPN and legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano with one goal in mind: to achieve Victory Over Cancer®.

Since its formation in 1993, the V Foundation has awarded over $310 million in cancer research grants nationwide and has grown to become one of the premier supporters of cutting-edge cancer research.