Why Research Matters to CURE
It is said that everyone on the planet knows someone who has either had cancer or is currently suffering from it. The prevalence of the disease is growing too, with the global amount spent on oncology treatment increasing a staggering 44% from $74 Billion USD to $167 Billion in just five years, (2015– 2020). Another grave statistic accompanying the disease is that everyone alive has a 50% chance of developing some form of cancer in their lifetime. The cause of each case is varied and complex, but includes increasing lifespan, lifestyle habits, genetics and environmental causes. This is why now –more than ever — cancer research into cures and effective treatments are so crucial.
CURE Token is dedicated to helping wipe the disease from the face of the earth, starting with pediatric cancer, which sadly affects 1 in every 330 children aged 0–19 and over 11,000 are diagnosed every year. The founder of the project, philanthropist Jacob Beckley is serious about his mission too, having already raised over $1 Million for the cause. One of the biggest challenges charities face is to take these overwhelming facts and figures that accompany cancer awareness and instead present something tangible that everyone can identify with and rally behind. That is why CURE is creating a series of Spotlight articles, with each one focusing on a different aspect of the charity and its multiple endeavors. Last week was the touching story of Lukas Voelz and his family, (which you can read about here). This week we will be taking a deep dive into Dr. Mary Beth Madonna and her incredible cancer research facility.
Dr. Madonna’s laboratory is located in Rush University Hospital Chicago, IL and focuses centrally on combating Neuroblastoma, which in her own words is “the most aggressive solid tumor in children, and the higher risk group only has a forty-percent chance of survival.” It is serious and deadly illness, yet still the most commonly used treatment is chemotherapy, which has many severely debilitating and sometimes life-altering side-effects, including (but certainly not limited to) reproductive damage, hearing loss, heart damage and diabetes — and can even cause secondary cancers. Some of these conditions won’t even show up until decades after the treatment, making it difficult to take preventative measures. This gives parents of the suffering children the heartbreaking decision of subjecting their loved ones to this grueling treatment or risk losing them entirely.
Dr. Madonna’s pioneering research facility is using more targeted therapy, which would have far less side effects. She and her team do this in their free time, on top of their daily responsibilities due to their passion for eradicating the disease entirely. This is mainly due to the chronic under-funding of childhood cancer research, which accounts for only 4% of the total government spend on variations of the disease. For this reason, Dr. Madonna’s lab relies almost entirely on private funding to operate. As one mother of a Neuroblastoma suffering child emotionally explains, “I just want to wake up one day and not think about the word cancer…and not have it in [my daughter’s] experience. Just not for one day. And we’re not there.”
Additionally, Dr. Madonna’s research analyses the mechanism of drug resistance which could aid chemotherapy efficacy. When individuals get chemo, most of their cells will die, however often a few will live and eventually become resistant to the treatment. Over time the cells will propagate and spread, which sadly often leads to the ultimate death of the patient. The research then aims to discover unique, new pharmaceutical drugs that can overcome said resistance, and enhance the likelihood of success. Furthermore, pediatric cancer research is important because the principals of what their team is doing applies to all cancers. The breakthroughs they make can be then adapted to treat adult cancers too, vastly improving the overall chances of survival for sufferers of all ages, all over the world.
Dr. Madonna’s drive to help comes from her own experience whilst training in pediatric surgery, namely being forced to witness the devastation that parents face when losing a young child. However, due to the underfunding in her field of expertise Dr. Madonna and her colleagues rely heavily on private donations. As she explains, The Beckley Foundation — and then its evolution, CURE Token has “Single-handedly, recently kept [her] lab going,” during the hard Covid times when other funding has all but dried up. Indeed, the Beckley Foundation has donated several hundred thousand dollars to the facility, including over $25,000 since CURE began, with more due to be donated soon.
The situation with Dr. Madonna’s facility displays both the significance of funded research, whilst highlighting the disparity that exists between the benevolent work such institutions do, and the lack of official support they receive. However, it is the ultimate aim of CURE to extend its charity reach to become not a single entity, but rather a vast network of connected charities that hold similar goals and ideals, using the power of cryptocurrency to both connect and drive the support of institutions like Dr. Madonna’s that desperately need the help. Indeed, if enough charities can galvanize in such a unique way under the leadership of CURE, it would serve to unite private funding, completely side-stepping the need to rely on centralized governmental aid. In turn this would ensure that all raised money goes exactly where it is needed most, and potentially advance cancer research through the most significant evolution in known history.
Now that is a cause worth investing in.
If you want to find out more about the CURE project and the Beckley Foundation, visit the websites at https://www.curetoken.net and https://www.thebeckleyfoundation.org
N.B. This article was written by Stuart Meczes. Please note that Stuart is not a financial advisor and nothing written above should be taken as financial advice.
