FKC – Projects 2024

FIGHT KIDS CANCER (FKC) is a collaborative initiative by KickCancer (Belgium), Imagine for Margo (France), the Kriibskrank Kanner Foundation (Luxembourg), CRIS Cancer Foundation (Spain & United Kingdom), and KiKa (the Netherlands). Our goal is to promote the most innovative treatments through collaboration between academic researchers and the funding of research on paediatric cancer across European countries.

The 8 research projects described below have been selected by independent experts as part of our 2024 European call for projects. This year, we have dedicated our call exclusively to research on brain tumours due to their significant unmet medical need and their status as one of the deadliest types of paediatric cancers.

All these projects are presented below in a summary format. If you wish to find out more about these, a detailed description of the research activities is available in English only on the FIGHT KIDS CANCER website. The link to the page of each project is indicated under its short description.

It is thanks to your participation in RUN TO KICK 2024 (September 29th) that these innovative projects will be funded! All FKC members aim to raise a total of €10.7 million. KickCancer intends to contribute €1.5 million towards this goal. Register now for RUN TO KICK and help us finance these groundbreaking brain tumour research projects.

1/ ELICIT: a new platform for immuno-oncology clinical trials on Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

The ELICIT project will establish a platform for early-phase immuno-oncology clinical trials specifically targeting Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). This project aims to standardise as much available data as possible to make it comparable, thereby advancing the development and testing of promising immunotherapies.

Type of study: Clinical trials infrastructure

Disease: Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG)

More information can be found here (in English only).

2/ REVIIH-BT: Audiovisual telerehabilitation programme to restore visual field loss caused by brain tumours

This study explores an innovative audiovisual telerehabilitation program aimed at improving visual perception in young patients who suffer from visual field loss (hemianopia) due to brain tumours and their treatments. By using immersive virtual reality stimulation, the research aims to restore visual fields and enhance the quality of life for these patients.

Type of study: Clinical trial

Disease: Low-grade gliomas

More information can be found here (in English only).

3/ MiMiC-Kids: Mirroring microglia-cancer cell interactions to improve immunotherapy

This research project aims to develop preclinical 3D models to study and treat Diffuse Midline Glioma (DMG) in children, which are among the brain tumours with the poorest prognosis. These 3D "avatars" will be used to test and understand the complex interactions between macrophages/microglia and glioma cells, enabling researchers to select the most promising immunotherapies for these patients.

Type of study: Translational research project

Disease: Diffuse midline glioma

More information can be found here (in English only).

4/ RADIO-MEDSCREEN: Dual chemogenomic screening to increase the efficacy of radiotherapy on medulloblastoma

Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant brain cancers affecting children. Radiotherapy is commonly used to treat this disease, but some patients do not respond or relapse. Additionally, most survivors suffer from life-long toxic side effects. This project aims to improve current radiotherapy protocols to increase efficacy and decrease toxicity.

Type of study: Translational research project

Disease: Medulloblastoma

More information can be found here (in English only).

5/ ITCC BrainTAP: The ITCC Brain Translational Accelerator Platform

The expanded knowledge of childhood cancer biology has led to significant advances in disease understanding, diagnostics, and subclassification. However, this has largely failed to result in new treatments. This project aims to bridge this gap by prioritising promising treatment targets, conducting high-quality preclinical experiments, and facilitating clinical trials.

Type of study: Translational research project

Disease: All brain tumours

More information can be found here (in English only).

6/ SOUP: Scanning the liquids of paediatric brain tumour patients to personalise treatment

Central nervous system (CNS) tumours, occurring in the brain or spinal cord, remain the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children. The SOUP project aims to enhance diagnosis, improve the surgical phase, monitor treatment response, stratify treatments, and follow up with these patients by establishing the best possible methodology for liquid biopsies in children with brain tumours.

Type of study: Translational research project

Disease: All brain tumours

More information can be found here (in English only).

7/ EUROPE: Exploring unknown relapse origins in paediatric Ependymoma

Ependymoma is the third most common brain tumour in children. Currently, treatment for ependymoma primarily involves brain surgery and radiation therapy. This project aims to compare the genetic information of cells from primary tumours (at diagnosis) and recurrent tumours (at relapse) in the same patient. The goal is to develop effective therapies for treating children with recurrent ependymomas, as no suitable treatments exist to date.

Type of study: Translational research project

Disease: Ependymoma

More information can be found here (in English only).

8/ FIGHT4MB: Establishing the first preclinical genetic mouse models of group 4 Medulloblastoma

The subtype "Group 4 medulloblastoma" (G4MB) represents the majority (40%) of all medulloblastoma cases. Despite its prevalence, G4MB is not yet well understood, and effective treatments have not been developed. This project aims to establish the first preclinical models of G4MB and use them as platforms to study the disease and test new treatments.

Type of study: Translational research project

Disease: Medulloblastoma

More information can be found here (in English only).