Last month we introduced the promising research surrounding immunotherapy, one of three innovative areas of research in the childhood cancer brain tumor landscape in which Bridge To A Cure is investing. We’ve taken a look at the promise of immunotherapy, and we will explore apoptosis in the next article. This topic provides an introduction to the second research area: angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis: Starving the Tumor to End Its Terror

Angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels, has emerged as a promising therapy in the treatment of childhood brain tumors. Cancer cells, like all living tissues, require a constant flow of nutrients and oxygen to grow and multiply. They achieve this by secreting chemical signals that stimulate angiogenesis, forming new blood vessels that feed the tumor.

In childhood brain tumors, the rapid growth and high metabolic demands of the cancer cells force them to rely on angiogenesis, making it a vulnerable point that would allow for inhibiting tumor growth. The strategy to combat childhood brain tumors via angiogenesis involves the use of angiogenesis inhibitors — substances that block the growth of new blood vessels. These inhibitors work by interfering with the chemical signals that tumors use to promote blood vessel formation. By cutting off the tumor’s blood supply, angiogenesis inhibitors can effectively starve the tumor cells, inhibiting their growth and reducing their ability to spread.

Several angiogenesis inhibitors have shown promise in clinical trials for pediatric brain tumors. The use of angiogenesis inhibitors offers several potential benefits.

By specifically targeting the tumor’s blood supply, these treatments can be more selective, sparing healthy tissues and reducing the side effects associated with traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Additionally, because angiogenesis is a mechanism shared by many types of tumors, angiogenesis inhibitors have the potential to be effective against a wide range of childhood brain tumors.

Despite the promising potential of targeting angiogenesis in childhood brain tumors, there are challenges to overcome. Tumors can develop resistance to angiogenesis inhibitors, making it necessary to develop a combination of therapies that target multiple pathways involved in tumor growth and blood vessel formation. It’s also important to consider the safety and effectiveness of these treatments in children, who are still growing and developing. This requires careful consideration and ongoing research. Angiogenesis presents a promising avenue for the treatment of childhood brain tumors, offering a targeted approach that could improve outcomes and reduce side effects for young patients.

Ongoing research and clinical trials are crucial to overcoming the challenges associated with this approach, paving the way for new, more effective therapies in the battle against childhood brain cancer. Bridge To A Cure wants to accelerate progress in this area via a research initiative that draws on the databases now available and the analytical/diagnostic capabilities of artificial intelligence. The goal is to replace the horrific standard of care in place today with an approach that is nontoxic and that cures.

Innovative approaches are crucial for the effective management and treatment of childhood cancer, yet traditional research methods often fail to address the complexities of these diseases. However, through multidisciplinary research and collaborative efforts, promising avenues for advancing childhood cancer research have emerged.

Challenges and Effective Research Emergence

The landscape of childhood cancer research has long been characterized by researchers working independently, leading to fragmented insights and missed opportunities for breakthroughs. Recognizing this, the Bridge To A Cure Foundation has championed collaborative approaches to bridge these gaps. By bringing together experts from various disciplines, the foundation aims to overcome the limitations of traditional methodologies and propel the field of childhood oncology forward.

Leveraging Collaborative Data

Central to the success of collaborative efforts is the robust data infrastructure managed by the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) and supported by the Bridge To A Cure Foundation. This comprehensive data ecosystem serves as a repository of valuable information, enabling researchers to explore new avenues of inquiry and uncover insights into the biology of childhood cancers. Without this wealth of data and specimens available, accelerating treatments for children with cancer would be hindered.

“Integration of diverse expertise, alignment of research priorities, and innovation in methodologies are our guiding principles.” —Mateusz Koptyra, CBTN Lab Director and founding partner for the collaborative effort

By integrating data from diverse omics disciplines such as genomics (study of all the genes in a person), proteomics (study of all the proteins in a person), transcriptomics (study of all the RNA molecules produced by a person), metabolomics (study of all the small molecules, or metabolites, in a person), and epigenomics (study of chemical modifications to DNA and proteins that can influence gene activity), researchers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of childhood cancers. This holistic approach allows for the identification of complex patterns and interactions, leading to the discovery of potential therapeutic targets. The Bridge To A Cure Foundation emphasizes the importance of such multidisciplinary exploration in driving forward the fight against childhood cancer.

Examples of Success and Initiatives

Within the collaborative framework supported by the Bridge To A Cure Foundation, ongoing projects focus on molecular diagnosis of childhood cancers and the development of targeted therapies tailored to specific genetic profiles. By sorting tumors based on their DNA characteristics, researchers can personalize treatment approaches, which maximize efficacy and minimize adverse effects. These initiatives highlight the tangible impact of collaborative efforts in improving outcomes for children with cancer.

One such effort was presented by Anahita Fathi Kazerooni, a research instructor in the Translational Research Imaging Unit of the Center for Data Driven Discovery in Biomedicine (D3b) and the Division of Neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Her groundbreaking research, showcased in her award-winning poster at the 2023 Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting, is a testament to the power of multiomic approaches. Her study, which integrated data from multiple research fields, revealed new diagnostics and therapeutic targets for pediatric brain tumors.

A Commitment to Children and Families

Looking ahead, Bridge To A Cure Foundation remains committed to driving innovation and collaboration in childhood cancer research. Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, hold promise for accelerating data analysis and uncovering novel insights. However, the foundation’s core mission remains unchanged—to improve outcomes for children and families affected by childhood cancer. By harnessing the collective expertise of researchers and clinicians, the foundation aims to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and making meaningful strides toward cures.

We are sparking collaboration to solve the immense challenges of  building a comprehensive database to fight childhood cancer.

At Bridge To A Cure Foundation, we sometimes hear praise such as “Congratulations on securing the national childhood cancer database initiative from the NCI!” While we are proud of our work building the groundwork for a National Childhood Cancer Database, we know that this is not the end, but only the beginning.

It’s just not acceptable that childhood cancer remains the number one cause of death by disease for kids, and a source of suffering and worry for so many families. We must keep pushing for the breakthroughs needed to find cures and effective treatments for the 16,000 kids diagnosed annually, and the countless children and families already battling cancer.

We believe building a robust and comprehensive database is the most important thing we can do to speed the delivery of effective treatments, and even cures. Yet there are many obstacles that lie in the way, including the immense challenge of harmonizing data of many different types and from many different sources.

As part of our mission to connect the people and resources needed to find cures, we are teaming up with one of the leading institutions on the Pediatric Cancer Data Commons initiative (PCDC), The Volchenboum Lab at the University of Chicago. They are doing the painstaking work of creating a universally shared language to make data mining viable.

This work is critical to address substantial challenges inherent in creating a national effort to sequence childhood and young adult cancers as outlined in a report of the Board of Scientific Advisors on the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative (CCDI).

CCDI is the government initiative to create a national database. PCDC is a member of the CCDI that is helping to shape how this new database will function effectively. PCDC has been working since 2004 to create lexicons (standardized language) for each form of childhood cancer so that the information in the data is consistent and can be clearly understood. Part of that work requires overcoming logistical and patient privacy complexities in existing datasets.

For example, the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) program applies a comprehensive genomic approach to determine molecular changes that drive childhood cancers. Its goal is to guide development of more effective, less toxic therapies.

The usefulness of any data depends largely on being able to connect it to other sources of information. For instance, genomic data in TARGET is much more useful when connected with clinical information being compiled by our partners at the Pediatric Cancer Data Commons. But connecting them relies on a privacy-preserving linked patient identifier. The NCI-funded Children’s Oncology Group (COG) solved the issue by having the Biopathology Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, replace patient-identifying data with a code that can be publicly displayed while preserving patient privacy.

This is just one example of the challenges of creating a seamless database. There are many other issues relating to policy, regulations and privacy ethics that will have to be addressed, as well as other technological, logistical and human resource hurdles that must be overcome.

These include the need for:

• Computational biologists: Research into promising “targeted therapies” that disable cancer cells in specific ways is fueling a push to understand the basic mechanisms of cancer growth. This is creating massive amounts of data and driving demand for “translational researchers with computational, analytical, and clinical trial expertise who can turn data into concrete knowledge.”
• Visualization tools to extract and exploit information from genetic and molecular profiles and to develop artificial intelligence algorithms that can “understand” and respond to data.
• Data architecture and solutions to adapt to innovations of platforms, structures and tools, and solve problems such as sequentially analyzing and aggregating data on different clouds.
• Global reach. We need to develop integrated analysis with large databases on other platforms in other countries to give researchers into childhood cancers access to all the information they need.

Working with organizations such as The Volchenboum Lab and others, we are working to increase collaboration to address these and other challenges.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

In dedication of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, we’re giving you a new opportunity to help support our mission and the fight against childhood cancer.

With a gift of $50 or more to Bridge To A Cure Foundation, you’ll receive the new SuperClara coloring book. Kids color along on an adventure sure to inspire fun and deliver an injection of courage. This uplifting story, based on the book “SuperClara — A Young Girl’s Story of Cancer, Bravery and Courage!,” helps put into perspective the challenges and disappointments we all face.

To donate and receive the new SuperClara coloring book, please click here.

As a grandparent, I’m always trying to think of new ways to connect with my grandkids—new ways to encourage them, help them grow and thrive, and support them in having a happy, fulfilling life.

When my granddaughter Clara was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, I dedicated my efforts to supporting her parents’ tireless journey to find a cure. At first, we dove into research to find out what exactly was out there currently in terms of a cure for cancer. Sadly, I discovered that there really isn’t a viable cure available right now. On the other hand, though, we found a lot of promising research that is on the cusp of a cure.

We live in exciting times, indeed, when a cure for cancer feels within reach!

The problem, however, is that these exciting scientific breakthroughs still largely amount to a cure that is years away, perhaps even a decade or more. For Clara and other kids and their families who are struggling with the disease now, those years can feel insurmountable… yet all the research has been pointed solely at finding a cure. We couldn’t find any institutions working on a way to sustain the lives of these kids who just need more time.

Inspired by our SuperClara, we decided this had to change.

To that end, I am so excited to be able to announce the creation of the Bridge to a Cure Foundation. Its sole purpose is to fund research for life-sustaining treatment for terminally ill kids, and it is the first-ever effort of its kind. Presentations by many renowned research institutions on how they would support the effort have already begun and will continue throughout the year.

Perhaps most exciting of all, Bridge to a Cure is a tangible way that all of us who care about these children to put our energy into something that has a direct impact on their well-being. It’s a chance for us to let go of the fear and hopelessness that so often take hold and instead focus on life and hope.

Hope paired with positive action can change the world. Will you join us?