A research program to understand pediatric cancers
Since 2019, the National Cancer Institute coordinates the work of a “Task Force”, including groups of associations Growing up without cancer, Climbing and The Unapeclewhich led to the launch of a call for applications to establish a research program with different disciplines and expertise around the theme of the origins and causes of pediatric cancers.
The theme “Origins and causes of pediatric cancers” has been highlighted to cover the field of fundamental research in pediatric oncology.
The objectives were to support studies and provide new knowledge on the following topics:
The role of environmental factors (physical, chemical, infectious, nutritional exposures, etc.) in the onset of pediatric cancers;
– The role of genetic and epigenetic factors in the onset of pediatric cancers;
The processes involved in the developmental stages of the nervous system, hematopoietic system, and immune system in the onset of pediatric cancers;
And the development of new models of pediatric cancers.
PEDIAC, a national research program
Eleven teams (led by V. Asnafi, O. Ayrault, J.Y. Blay, J. Clavel, F. De Vathaire, Z. Herceg, I. Janoueix-Lerosey, S. Latour, T. Mercher, C. Pouponnot, J. Schüz) were selected based on multidisciplinary expertise covering research areas including epidemiology, genetic analysis, modeling, and molecular mechanisms. This research program is led by Inserm (with scientific coordination by Thomas Mercher and project management by Mélanie Var) and develops a 4-year research program.
This innovative funding approach has already created new scientific interactions among teams that had not previously worked together, crossing thematic boundaries and expanding the scale and scope of the project well beyond conventional methodologies. Several institutions and teams involved in the project have initiated and contributed to other national and international studies on pediatric cancers, including CONECT-AML, MAPPYACTS, MICCHADO, RNCE CCOP, CLIC, and I4C. These studies provide solid foundations for the current project.