Charity funding has enabled a new researcher at a Sutton-based lab to make breakthroughs in children's cancer treatment.

The charity Christopher's Smile, with the backing of the Sutton Guardian's parent company Newsquest, has helped pay for scientist Elisa Izquierdo to take up a post as a specialist paediatric molecular pathologist at the Institute on Cancer Research based at the Royal  Marsden Hospital in Sutton.

Since she took up her role in January, Ms Izquierdo has made some important breakthroughs that could change the way childhood cancers are treated.

Christopher's Smile was set up in 2008 by Karen and Kevin Capel after their son Christopher, 5, died from a brain tumour.

Mr and Mrs Capel saw Christopher suffer with his illness and from the effects of his treatment. After his death they decided to work to stop other families from going through what they went through. The charity focuses on finding ways to treat childhood cancers without the need for aggressive treatment.

Your Local Guardian:

Christopher Capel died in 2008

Newsquest gave a £37,000 donation to Christopher's Smile in December that helped fund Ms Izquierdo's role.

In her six months in the post, Ms Izquierdo has been designed a new method for detecting mutations in a gene relating to childhood cancers and has begun analysing previously unexplored genes relating to illnesses.

A spokesman for the Institute of Cancer Research said: "None of the progress described above would be possible, of course, without the fundraising efforts of everyone involved with Christopher’s Smile!

"We would particularly like to thank Kevin and Karen Capel for their dedication and hard work to help improve the situation for children diagnosed with cancer through funding research."

The donation to Christopher's Smile was made through the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of Newsquest.

As well as funding Ms Izquierdo's role, it paid for a specialist piece of equipment for her to use called a Fish microscope.

TODAY'S TOP SUTTON STORIES