Seven Bridges said on Tuesday that it has joined an international alliance that aims to link genomic cancer datasets from The Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource Center (Kids First DRC), Zero Childhood Cancer (Zero), the Children’s Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium (CBTTC). According to Seven Bridges, the partners aim to build a computation infrastructure that will harmonize data from Zero, an Australian initiative using genomics to personalize treatments for pediatric cancers, with the genomic datasets of CBTTC and Kids First DRC. The effort is expected to help improve researchers’ understanding of rare pediatric brain cancer subtypes.

Like so many of us during the month of September, I’ve come to regard Childhood Cancer Awareness Month as a time to take stock and reflect -- on the bravery and strength of the children and families I’ve encountered in my clinical practice, and on the progress still to be made in the struggle against childhood brain cancer.

As we continue onward, the CBTTC has officially transitioned to a new phase in our efforts on behalf of childhood brain tumor patients everywhere. Now, as the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) we will further grow our partnerships and research efforts to CURE pediatric brain tumors through innovation, resource sharing, a commitment to global inclusion, and, most critically, through the translation of data into new clinical trials and increased clinical impact.

Comprehensive “proteogenomic” analysis of the proteins, genes, and RNA transcription involved in pediatric brain tumors could help physicians more accurately identify different types of tumors and methods for treating them.

Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) investigators from nearly all of our 25 member sites will join this global community of experts in childhood brain cancer to engage in the sharing of research and new perspectives. In addition, CBTN will give several presentations and abstracts to share our research methodology and recent discoveries.

The Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) announced an award of $1.75 million from the Swifty Foundation to accelerate pediatric brain tumor research around the globe.

We recently spoke with Dr. Chad Creighton, Professor of Medicine and Co-Director of Cancer Bioinformatics at Baylor College of Medicine, whose team utilized DNA and RNA data from hundreds of study participants within the PBTA for a major study on how Somatic Structural Variation within gene copying may drive the development of cancer cells within a child’s brain.

CBTN is working to grow its partnerships across academic, research, patient/foundation, government, and commercial spaces, with a goal of ensuring that these partners each have a clear sense of how they can advance and support the Network’s ambitious mission.

Recently, Dr. Eric B. Durbin delivered a presentation at the CBTN Investigator Meeting on his work studying cancer in Kentucky and the establishment of Kentucky ACCELERATE, a consortium that highlights how access to CBTN resources and collaborators can be transformational in expanding localized cancer research.

Oligodendroglioma is a rare form of primary malignant brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancer diagnosed in roughly 1,500 people in the United States each year. Because of its rarity, access to high-quality biospecimens and molecular data can be scarce. This has made oligodendroglioma a particularly difficult form of brain cancer for scientists to study However, CBTN has struck a unique partnership between public agencies, patient foundations, and research institutions to forge a new model for research, marking a new era in therapeutic development.

Hack4Rare event brings together partners from the aviation industry in support of children's rare-disease research.

Project will allow thousands of tissue samples to be studied and provide an enormous level of insight into childhood cancer

It is an honor to announce that Dr. Carl Koschmann, MD of the University of Michigan has been selected as the newest co-chair to the CBTN Scientific Committee. We spoke with Dr. Koschmann about his current areas of research as well as his goals in this leadership role within CBTN.

On Monday, January 31, this new and exciting collaborative effort took a critical step forward with the shipment of more than 600 samples to the Broad Institute for multi-omics sequencing. Over the next two months, the bulk of CBTN’s remaining samples, from more than 3,800 patients, will also be shipped.

The Lilabean Foundation’s support will accelerate the pace of translational research and the discovery of new treatments for children and young adults with brain tumors.

Applying a new data exchange model known as FHIR, CBTN is standardizing and automating the task of harmonizing vast amounts of data and expanding their availability across the childhood cancer research landscape.

The Carson Leslie Foundation is teaming up with CBTN to develop medulloblastoma care custom-tailored to each patient and adjustable in real time. Together, #cureMEdullo and CBTN will give doctors the absolute latest and best data to effectively treat every patient every time.

The data generated through medical research and in clinical settings are broad, complex, and collected over time, which makes putting them into a usable context more energy-intensive and time-consuming. Now, utilizing the rich data generated through CBTN, researchers are developing a new hub for standardizing data entry called the Data Tracker.

At the close of 2021, CBTN founding partners, the Kortney Rose Foundation announced their decision to close down active operations after an incredible 16 year history. CBTN is honored to share this message of reflection from pediatric brain tumor research advocate, philanthropist, parent, and co-founder of KRF, Kristen Gillette.

Project Accelerate is already underway. There are several steps to extracting the precious information we need and delivering it in a form that scientists can use in their research:

How do ecDNAs arise in human cancer? How do they promote the evolution of drug resistance in cancer cells? The answers to these questions may unlock new therapeutic strategies for pediatric patients with ecDNA+ tumors.

Indigenous leaders in medicine and research Chief Lynn Malerba, Professor Alex Brown, and Dr. Nadine Caron joined CBTN & PNOC's Dr. Cassie Kline to discuss the historical impact anti-Indigenous medical research on the modern landscape of clinical research and how Indigenous researchers are taking the health of their communities into their own hands.

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Take a look back on some of the notable stories we’ve share over the last 12 months, reflecting the progress made through a shared and unceasing commitment to work together on behalf of children everywhere.

While my term as CBTN Executive Co-Chair has ended, my fervor for this effort and determination to support its continued growth remains as strong as ever. I join you in keen anticipation for all that is soon to come.

Dr. Sabine Mueller, a CBTN investigator since 2012 and co-lead of the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC), will be expanding her involvement in CBTN’s leadership by stepping into the role of Executive Board Co-Chair, following the conclusion of Dr. Angela Waander’s tenure in this position.