Help Fight Childhood Cancer is a distributed computing

Distributed computing

Distributed computing is a field of computer science that studies distributed systems. A distributed system consists of multiple autonomous computers that communicate through a computer network. The computers interact with each other in order to achieve a common goal...

 project that runs on the BOINC platform. It is a joint effort of Chiba University

Chiba University

is a national university in the city of Chiba, Japan. It offers Doctoral degrees in education as part of a coalition with Tokyo Gakugei University, Saitama University, and Yokohama National University.-Faculties:*Letters*Education*Law and Economics*Science...

 and the Chiba Cancer Center

Project Purpose

Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid cancer in childhood and the most common cancer in infancy, with an annual incidence of about 650 cases per year in the US , and 100 cases per year in the UK . Close to 50 percent of neuroblastoma cases occur in children younger than two years old...

 is the most common type of solid tumor

Tumor

A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...

 which afflicts children. Three different protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

s have been implicated in the production of neuroblastoma. If these proteins can be disabled, conventional treatments would be much more effective. Medicinal chemists

Medicinal chemistry

Medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical chemistry are disciplines at the intersection of chemistry, especially synthetic organic chemistry, and pharmacology and various other biological specialties, where it is involved with design, chemical synthesis and development for market of pharmaceutical...

 have identified three million different molecule

Molecule

A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...

s which might disable the proteins. Treating it as a problem in ligand

Ligand (biochemistry)

In biochemistry and pharmacology, a ligand is a substance that forms a complex with a biomolecule to serve a biological purpose. In a narrower sense, it is a signal triggering molecule, binding to a site on a target protein.The binding occurs by intermolecular forces, such as ionic bonds, hydrogen...

 docking, a computer program

Computer program

A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...

 called AutoDock

AutoDock

AutoDock is a molecular modeling simulation software. Since 2009, it has been open source and is free for non-commercial usage. It is especially effective for Protein-ligand docking.-About:...

 will virtually attempt to fit each molecule to each protein in such a way that the protein is disabled.

See also

• BOINC
• List of distributed computing projects
• World Community Grid
  World Community Grid
  World Community Grid is an effort to create the world's largest public computing grid to tackle scientific research projects that benefit humanity...
  
  
• Band of Parents
  Band of Parents
  Band of Parents is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Formed in July 2007 and incorporated in October 2007 the organization was founded by approximately 100 parents of young children with neuroblastoma who were treated at Memorial Hospital, Sloan Kettering Cancer Center .-Mission:To fund cutting edge...
  
  
• The Neuroblastoma Society
  The Neuroblastoma Society
  The Neuroblastoma Society is a UK charity that helps families affected by neuroblastoma by funding research and running a befriending scheme for parents. The charity was set up in 1982 by a group of parents whose children had suffered from or died of neuroblastoma....
  
  
• Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Alliance UK
  Neuroblastoma Children's Cancer Alliance UK
  The Neuroblastoma Alliance UK is a UK charity that helps children and families affected by neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer. The charity helps families by helping them fundraise for their child's treatment abroad, offering support and funding research into the condition .-History:The...
  
  

External links

• Help Fight Childhood Cancer official site
• Help Fight Childhood Cancer, World Community Grid