Coming soon - Details about our 2010 Schedule and Program!  Please check back!

Why We Walk

Miles for Melanoma of Delaware's Kristen Bumpus meets up with Cal Ripken.  Cal was at Bank of America honoring volunteers and Kristin was one of the lucky honorees!

Girl Scout Troop 42 remains dedicated to supporting Miles for Melanoma of Delaware.  The girls participated in the 2009 Walk/Run and have honored our group on their web site - www.gstroop42.com. 

Thanks, girls!

In 2008, Miles for Melanoma of Delaware raised enough money to fund a research grant.  Dr. Paul Antony is the recipient of this grant and the abstract below describes the research that he is pursuing.

Melanoma represents one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States. To date, CD8⁺ T cells have been the primary focus in the immunotherapy of melanoma with little focus on CD4⁺ T cells. Recently, immunotherapy given after inducing lymphopenia (decreased number of T cells in the body) by radiation or chemotherapy has improved response rates in patients with melanoma. Animal models have also shown that inducing lymphopenia before therapy enhances CD8⁺ T cell immunotherapy against melanoma. However, inducing lymphopenia in humans has it risks and carries high rates of morbidity and mortality, especially when patients are sick. Furthermore, the mechanisms by which lymphopenia augments immunotherapy are relatively unknown. His goal is to understand how to reject established melanoma in the absence of lymphopenia using tumor-reactive CD4⁺ T cells and to develop novel translational cancer immunotherapies using the knowledge gained from understanding the mechanisms of lymphopenia. Therefore, he has developed a new transgenic mouse that produces CD4⁺ T cells that recognize a tumor-antigen that is also self-antigen expressed in the normal skin, called tyrosinase related protein-1 (tyrp-1). He will use CD4⁺ T cells directed against B16 melanoma, a poorly immunogenic tumor, to study the requirements to treat established cancer in lymphopenic and non-lymphopenic mice.  Thus far he has found that tumor-specific CD4⁺ T cells can cause the regression of established tumors and cause autoimmune vitiligo through a CD8⁺ T cell and vaccine independent mechanism in lymphopenic mice but fails in mice with a normal immune system. In summary, tyrp-1 CD4⁺ TCR transgenic mice represent a new model to study ways to induce potent anti-tumor immunity against melanoma using self-reactive CD4⁺ T cells. Understanding the mechanisms of tumor regression in mice with lymphopenia will allow him to develop new therapies that could work in the absence of lymphopenia, thus doing less harm to the patient. These therapies have high translational feasibility because tyrp-1 is also expressed in humans and CD4⁺ T cells are starting to be used in clinical therapies.

Visit our First Giving Site

About the MRF

The Melanoma Research Foundation, a national tax-exempt health organization, is committed to melanoma research, education and advocacy.  Our EIN number is 76-0514428.

Interested in sponsoring us for our 2010 program?  Please contact us at: miles4melanomade@gmail.com.

We will be posting the 2010 sponsorship package on the web site soon.  Check back frequently for more information.

MORE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Have ever wanted to run or walk a marathon or half-marathon but just didn't know where to start?  Have you ever wanted to do something good while at the same time getting something in return?

TEAM M4M (Miles for Melanoma) is a team training program providing runners and want to be runners (and walkers!) with personal one-on-one coaching and individual training plans in a team training atmosphere, while raising money for melanoma research and support programs.  Joining TEAM M4M means you will be teaming with other runners and walkers to help millions who are fighting the silent BEAST of Melanoma.

In 2009 TEAM M4M in Washington, DC will be sending teams to run in the Marine Corps Marathon and the Richmond (Virginia) Full and Half Marathon while raising close to $100,000.  If you are interested in joining a TEAM M4M in Delaware in 2010 or just have questions about this program, please contact us at miles4melanomade@gmail.com.