Summary

  • EMBL-EBI will play a vital role in the Stratified Medicine Paediatrics 2 (SMPaeds2) research programme, co-funded by Children with Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK
  • The programme’s integration of bioinformatics tools and methods from Isidro Cortes-Ciriano’s group at EMBL-EBI will help further our understanding of molecular mechanisms of relapse with important UK and global impacts
  • Innovations from the SMPaeds2 programme are expected to change the future of clinical trials for childhood cancers, leading to improved survival rates and quality of life post-treatment

In a stride towards advancing precision medicine and the global management of relapsed childhood cancers, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) will play a key role in a new £5.5 million Stratified Medicine Paediatrics 2 (SMPaeds2) research programme, co-funded by leading charities Children with Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK.

The SMPaeds2 research programme will be co-led by Professor Louis Chesler at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, Isidro Cortes-Ciriano at EMBL-EBI and Darren Hargrave at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH).

“We’re delighted to continue funding this pioneering research project into its second phase, which could mark a real step-change in the way childhood cancer relapse is diagnosed, monitored and treated,” said Jo Elvin, CEO at Children with Cancer UK. “SMPaeds2 will identify specific patterns of childhood cancer relapse, highlight resistance to treatment and provide an infrastructure by which all children seeking experimental therapy on future clinical trials can be rapidly diagnosed and monitored.”

A united front against childhood cancers 

The SMPaeds2 programme is set to develop cutting-edge genetic tests and analyses, providing deeper insights into the biology of relapsed childhood cancers, specifically investigating blood cancers and solid tumours in children and young people, including in the brain, muscle and bone. The Cortés-Ciriano group at the EMBL-EBI will use its expertise in bioinformatics to support the work of this programme aiding the development of precision medicine approaches with important UK and global impacts for the detection and management of cancer. 

An important element of the SMPaeds2 programme will be its work in collaboration with the NHS to develop non-invasive liquid-based cancer tests that require little or no tissue, and instead work in blood and other body fluids. These tests will help to reduce or eliminate the need for invasive biopsies. The work of the programme will also contribute to wider European efforts to combat paediatric cancer.

Bioinformatics in oncology

The Cortés-Ciriano group at EMBL-EBI is pioneering the use of long-read sequencing and liquid biopsies to aid cancer diagnosis. The group develops bioinformatics tools and methods for detecting cancer mutations using state-of-the-art long-read sequencing technology data obtained from liquid biopsies. Integrating their innovative methods into the SMPaeds2 framework will help aid the precision of cancer diagnosis, leading to earlier detection, more targeted therapies, and ultimately, improved survival outcomes.

“We are committed to help transform the diagnostic and treatment landscape for cancer treatment. The strengths within my group in long-read sequencing and bioinformatics will be instrumental  to the SMPaeds2 programme,” said Isidro Cortes-Ciriano, Group Leader at EMBL-EBI. “Through the efforts of the programme, we hope to make possible a change in practice where invasive biopsies are no longer the norm. Instead, we will provide clinicians with the tools to detect and monitor paediatric cancers with a simple blood test, leading to more personalised and timely interventions. This integration of bioinformatics and clinical practice is paving the way for effective diagnostics and will have a global impact on the management of paediatric cancer.”

Improving survival rates

Within five years, it is hoped that new tests developed by SMPaeds2 will help doctors detect or even predict childhood cancer relapse earlier, as well as lead to the development of new precision medicines by improving the management of clinical trials. It could also allow them to monitor how a patient is responding to treatment in-real time, meaning they could change or adapt the individual treatment approach if a treatment isn’t working. 

“Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults and presents a unique set of challenges that we must overcome. We’re taking on these challenges through transformational initiatives like the Stratified Medicine Paediatrics programmes,” said Michelle Mitchell OBE, CEO at Cancer Research UK. “This programme aims to maximise new technological advancements to profile young patients’ cancers less invasively, more quickly and in more detail than ever before. This will allow patients to continue to be matched to the best possible treatment for their individual cancer, unlock the ability to study these cancers in unprecedented detail and help develop new and better treatments for children and young people that cause fewer long-term side effects. By working together, we are determined to overcome the challenges and ultimately help more children and young people survive cancer with a better quality of life.”

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