Identifying markers of poor survival in high-risk neuroblastoma
| Study name | International integrated analysis to identify markers of poor survival in high-risk neuroblastoma |
| Study type | Preclinical |
| Principal investigator(s) | Dr Lucas Moreno, Dr Daniel Morgenstern, Dr Gudrun Schleiermacher, Dr Wendy London |
| Institutions | Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Hospital Nino Jesus, Madrid |
| Partners | Oscar Knox Fund, Merryn Lacy Trust, Solving Kids’ Cancer US, Smiles for Stanley |
| Total awarded | $420,000 |
| Solving Kids’ Cancer UK contribution | $100,000 |
Overview
Children with high-risk neuroblastoma are broadly treated with the same approach, but we know that even within risk categories there can be significant variation in disease from case to case. For a number of years, studies have been conducted to look at biomarkers which might identify patients with the poorest outcomes right from diagnosis so that they can be offered novel therapies early on, where standard approaches are unlikely to be successful. Despite this work, as well as various factors being used to predict outcomes in the clinic, no biomarkers have been validated or made available for clinical decision-making.
This study led by institutions across Europe and North America will look to gather all existing data from these biomarker studies, and integrate it into the existing Risk Group database.
Impact
This project hopes to find and add yet more information to this, which could help to identify biological markers that indicate a poorer chance of survival. Having this knowledge right from the time of diagnosis would mean that a wider set of options could be offered straight away, with the hopes of improving a child’s outlook.
