Ukraine Relief has successfully completed a major fundraising campaign to purchase a Leica BOND MAX immunohistochemical (IHC) stainer for the Pediatric Department of the National Cancer Institute of Ukraine. The initiative followed an introduction to the department’s director by General Valerii Zaluzhnyi and a subsequent meeting in Kyiv earlier this year.
IHC testing is essential in diagnosing cancer, particularly in children, where tumors often appear similar under the microscope but require very different treatments. At present, all IHC testing at the Institute is carried out manually, creating heavy workloads, inconsistent results, and delays of several days. For children with aggressive cancers, such as neuroblastoma or Ewing’s sarcoma, these delays can critically impact treatment. The Leica BOND MAX IHC stainer automates the process, providing fast, accurate, and standardized results that can be ready within hours. The Cancer Institute had been trying to acquire such a system for more than four years and such a machine will directly impact the outcomes of both adults and most critically, children.
Generous contributions from philanthropic sponsors in both the USA and the UK, as part of Ukraine Relief’s “Children Are the Future” campaign, made the purchase possible. On 1 August, Ukraine Relief CEO Karol Swiacki signed the contract to supply and deliver the BOND MAX to Kyiv’s Cancer Institute. The unit will take up to 120 days to manufacture and ship, and a further announcement will follow upon delivery.