The team of the Children’s Cancer and Haematological Diseases group at Vall d’Hebrón.
The Vall d’Hebrón Hospital is willing to change the ‘status quo’ linked to pediatric cancer in spainbetting on bringing the precision medicine to patients with relapsed cancer through his participation in the clinical trial European Mappyacts. The research, now completed and published in the journal Cancer Discoveryhas made it possible to demonstrate the benefits of carrying out more extensive studies that characterize the molecular profile of tumors and increase the lit from pediatric population to trials of targeted therapies. Now, the hospital has begun the procedures to participate in the Mappyacts 2which aims to increase the number of predictive biomarkers response with high evidence, enhance the drugs approved targeted products for the pediatric population and generate more clinical trials attached to this population.
Aroa Soriano Fernandezprincipal investigator of the Children’s Cancer and Hematological Diseases group at Vall d’Hebrón, explains in Medical Writing that with this second study “we seek to understand the complexity of many of these pediatric tumors and see what is the best way prioritize in this type of study. Currently open trials for the pediatric population who suffer from cancer are few compared to those carried out to treat this same pathology in adults, so it is “key to have more clinical trials, allowing more patients to benefit from targeted therapies and knowing if survival is increased”.
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“We seek to understand the complexity of many of the pediatric tumors and see what is the best way to prioritize in this type of study” |
Even though he Mappyacts 2 has already started in Francethe country that leads the study and has implemented within its National system of health this type of diagnostic and relapse tests, Vall d’Hebrón is currently carrying out the administrative transactions for your participation. “Since the first study began in 2016, There has been progress, but there is still a long way to go. Of all cancer patients, the 69 percent He received a therapeutic recommendation. Of these patients, only one 10 percent it was with a therapy in which evidence had already been seen that there was a clinical benefit. We must accumulate more certainties for this type of recommendation”, confirms Soriano.
This new research, which will include other European countries and some Spanish hospitals, aims to create international molecular committees to share knowledge and continue to increase access to clinical trials with targeted therapies. In Soriano’s words, “many of the advanced tumors have several relevant oncogenic alterations, highlighting the great complexity of cancer and the need for experienced teams when it comes to prioritize and recommend treatments. Because of this, it is key to design new clinical trials adapted to the degree of complexity of the diseases.
A personalized medicine program of its own in Spain
Another purpose of the international study that Vall d’Hebrón intends to achieve is to continue generating genomic data y knowledge for future research with new treatments. With regard to this section, the specialist states that “at the hospital we were clear that participating in Mappyacts meant learn. Italia y Ireland are the participating countries in addition to spain and sent the samples to France, while here we carried out the sequencing and interpretation of data in the National Center for Genomic Analysis (CNAG), and with them we discussed the results and prioritizations. We wanted to be independent once the study was over and we could startr our own program in Spain, known as Comik. Our next step will be the pencil programwhich seeks to promote personalized medicine in all Spain”.
The liquid biopsy has been a fundamental element in Mappyactsthe first project that has studied its use to analyze the circulating DNA in blood in this population. Now, in this second part of the research, Soriano intends to “expand research projects with their implementation to continue studying molecular alterations.”
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“We wanted to be independent once the study was over and be able to start our own program in Spain” |
Once again, the multidisciplinary teams have played a key role in regard to these types of programs of precision medicine. As the specialist recalls, “a deep knowledge of the pediatric tumorssu biologythe development of new drugsthe result of the clinical trialsthe availability open clinical trials, as well as other treatment options that may be relevant to the patient. Thus, the discussions between doctors and scientists in the molecular committees of pediatric tumors are crucial in these precision medicine programs”.
The recognition of clinical genetics as a new specialty
The study of genetics has emerged as one of the main protagonists when it comes to carrying out personalized medicine programs, and this new scenario is claimed by Soriano: “These types of personalized medicine programs highlight the need for recognition from Specialty of Clinical Genetics and the recognition of biologists as health professionals by the Ministry of Health”. Precision medicine for pediatric cancer patients advances in Spain, and the next step, the pencil projectis close to being a reality.
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