- The new unit, to be located at the Vall d’Hebron Campus in Barcelona, will streamline compound screening and enable the selection of the most effective therapy for each patient
- The investment required to launch the new unit is €910,000, and for this reason the foundation is launching a fundraising campaign to involve citizens in this initiative
- The main objective is to accelerate the development of new drugs for childhood cancer, which will help improve treatments for the more than 1,000 pediatric cancer cases diagnosed each year in Spain
The Albert Bosch Foundation, created by Noel Alimentaria and dedicated to promoting childhood cancer research, has set out to carry out a pioneering project in Spain to accelerate the development of new drugs specifically for childhood cancer. In collaboration with the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute, a national and international reference center in the treatment and research of childhood cancer, and with whom the foundation has collaborated for more than twenty years; the goal is to launch a high-performance unit with highly trained and qualified professionals, and cutting-edge medical technology, to carry out this type of translational research.
The unit, which will be located at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), will accelerate the compound screening process to obtain better drugs for the treatment of childhood cancer. Likewise, a more precise evaluation of drug sensitivity in each patient could help select the most effective therapeutic option for each case in the future.
Although this unit will address all types of cancer, the main research areas will be sarcomas, brain tumors and neuroblastoma. In addition, it can also be implemented for research into different types of leukemia, as well as all types of pediatric tumors within the use of precision medicine.
In the words of Cristina Sanz, Director of the Albert Bosch Foundation, “This project will help continue improving the reality of children suffering from cancer in our country. If we are able to shorten research times, improve therapeutic precision and move toward more effective and less aggressive treatments, we will generate a real impact on their future, their quality of life and that of their families.”
“There are very few units researching to create and develop new drugs specifically for the genetic and molecular vulnerabilities presented by childhood cancers. This new unit will allow us to multiply the speed of the research we are already conducting. The new molecules identified with this unit can then continue their development and reach patients thanks to our ability to launch phase 1 and 2 pediatric clinical trials,” explains Dr. Lucas Moreno, Head of the Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and of the Childhood Cancer and Hematological Diseases Group at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR).
More than 1,000 new cases per year in Spain
Every year more than 1,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed in children under 14 in Spain, more than 170 of them in Catalonia; making it the leading cause of disease-related death in children and adolescents. Although the survival rate is around 80%, some sarcomas, neuroblastomas, leukemias or brain tumors still have a survival rate below 50%. Overall, nearly two thirds of survivors will experience long-term sequelae, half of which — more than 33% — will be severe or disabling, affecting their autonomy and quality of life.
With this initiative, the Albert Bosch Foundation aims to help improve these cure rates by applying the necessary technology and knowledge to drive the discovery of drugs specifically for pediatric cancers, avoiding the current situation in which children are treated with oncology drugs originally designed for adults, thereby increasing the chances of success.
The unit, which will include an automated high-resolution microscope, a robotic plate-handling system, as well as other specialized equipment and scientific staff, requires a total investment of €910,000. This technology allows hundreds or thousands of molecules to be evaluated simultaneously in laboratory models in a robotic manner. It will also pilot the use of this technology to help guide treatments in children and adolescents with resistant tumors. The human team will include collaboration between laboratory researchers, bioinformaticians and clinical researchers. To meet this challenge and raise the necessary funds, the Albert Bosch Foundation has launched a campaign calling for public collaboration, enabling everyone to help take a decisive step forward in childhood cancer research. The different ways to contribute to achieving this goal can be found at elfichajequenosfalta.org