Research for Better Treatment of Childhood Cancer
The Cancer Evolution and Genomics research group at ST. Anna CCRI, led by George Cresswell, investigates how childhood cancer develops and why some patients respond differently to treatments. The scientists analyze how genetic changes evolve in tumors and aim to identify new approaches for better treatments. The goal: to detect cancer earlier, treat it more precisely, and improve long-term survival chances.
Why Do Children Respond Differently to Cancer Therapies?
Every tumor is unique and changes over time. Some cancer cells develop mechanisms to evade therapy. This means that a treatment that is successful for one child may not work for another. The research group focuses on investigating these genetic changes in detail. By understanding which mutations (changes in genetic material) are responsible, treatments can be tailored more precisely, and potentially new therapies can be developed.
Current Research Projects
1. How Does a Dangerous Kidney Tumor Change at the Cellular Level?
One research focus is high-risk Wilms tumor, a particularly aggressive form of childhood kidney cancer. These tumors are often characterized by a mutation in the TP53 gene, making them especially difficult to treat. It is known that these tumors exhibit numerous chromosomal changes, but how this manifests as chromosomal instability has not been fully resolved.
The team is now analyzing different Wilms tumor models to determine the extent of this instability. These findings could explain why this tumor often responds poorly to therapies. In the long term, this knowledge may help develop better treatment strategies.
2. New Insights into a Dangerous Nerve Tumor
Another project focuses on neuroblastoma, a tumor of the nervous system that is often fatal. About half of affected children fall into the high-risk group, where survival rates are currently only around 50%.
Many aggressive neuroblastomas show characteristic genetic changes, especially in chromosomes. A large international study is collecting and analyzing data from around 1,500 affected children in Europe. The goal is to identify patterns associated with particularly poor disease outcomes.
With the help of artificial intelligence (machine learning), researchers aim to determine which genetic characteristics indicate a poor prognosis. These insights could enable the development of more targeted and effective treatments in the future.
3. Blood Tests as an Alternative to Biopsies – Cancer Monitoring Without Surgery?
Tumor tissue sampling is often stressful for patients, requiring either surgery or a needle biopsy. However, a promising new method is emerging: liquid biopsy. Instead of directly examining the tumor, this approach analyzes small traces of tumor DNA circulating in the blood. This method offers several advantages:
- No invasive procedure: A simple blood sample replaces surgery or needle biopsies.
- Better tumor overview: Tumors often consist of different cell types that are not evenly distributed in the tissue. A tissue biopsy may provide incomplete information, whereas a blood sample contains DNA traces from various parts of the tumor, offering a more comprehensive picture.
- Early detection of relapses: Cancer can return after successful treatment. A liquid biopsy could detect cancer recurrence earlier, even before it appears on conventional scans.
The team is testing whether this method is reliable for children with different solid tumors. Using special DNA analyses, researchers are searching for typical genetic changes in patients’ blood samples. If successful, this method could revolutionize cancer diagnostics, allowing disease monitoring and treatment adjustments without repeated surgeries or invasive procedures.
4. New Methods for Tumor Analysis
Understanding cancer requires more precise analytical methods. A visiting scientist in the group is developing a new technique for analyzing tumor DNA, focusing on genetic alterations, including mutations and epigenetic patterns (chemical changes in DNA that influence gene behavior).
This technique uses a special statistical method designed to produce particularly reliable results. If successful, it could improve both cancer research and clinical diagnostics, enabling faster and more precise tumor classification and helping to select the best individualized therapy for each child.
Goal: Better Treatments for Children with Cancer
The Cancer Evolution and Genomics research group’s work contributes to a better understanding of childhood cancer and the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Particularly exciting are the liquid biopsy and artificial intelligence approaches, which could revolutionize treatment options in the long run.
The overarching goal is to enable personalized cancer therapy—treatments tailored precisely to the genetic characteristics of the tumor. This approach could not only improve survival rates but also reduce side effects. Every new discovery brings us closer to this goal.