Precision medicine shows promising results in adults. Tailoring treatment to the genetic profile and environmental and lifestyle factors creates ‘customized treatment’. With the establishment of the Center of Excellence for Precision Medicine in Pediatric Care (PMPC), the Princess Máxima Center and Children's Clinical University Hospital (CCUH) aim to make this type of treatment applicable to children with rare and complex diseases, including cancer.
Strategic international collaboration
Prof. Dr. Rob Pieters, Chief Medical Officer, Board of Directors Princess Máxima Center says: ‘On our way to realizing our mission to cure every child with cancer with optimal quality of life, we at the Máxima Center seek worldwide connections. We do this by generating and sharing knowledge and expertise through intensive collaborations, both in research, diagnostics and treatment. We are excited about what this collaboration in a hub like PMPC promises for the future development of precision medicine for children with cancer.‘
The Riga-based PMPC will not only improve health outcomes for children in Latvia, but also contribute to Dutch, European and global advances in precision medicine in children.
Individualized solutions
Dr. Valts Ābols, CEO of CCUH, adds: ‘We are very honored by the support of the European Union, which allows us to embark on this transformative journey for pediatric healthcare and research in Latvia. The establishment of the PMPC at our hospital will increase the quality of care in the coming years by merging research with future clinical applications. This initiative will allow us to find individualized solutions for some of the most challenging pediatric conditions.’
Core facilities
The center is setting up and operating several core facilities over the next six years. Dr. Bastiaan Tops, head of the Laboratory of Pediatric Oncology at the Máxima is involved in this. He is one of the specialists from the Máxima Center who is advising colleagues from Riga in the process. Tops says: ‘This collaboration focuses on setting up several core facilities for children who are being treated both now and in the future. For example, a biobank is being set up in the PMPC. The (tumor) tissue and data from this biobank supports research and validation projects. We are also advising in the development of a so-called clinical research unit, so that the PMPC can participate in international clinical studies.'
A genomics facility will also be built at the PMCP, which will help with research and molecular diagnostic testing. Furthermore, the Máxima and the PMPC will collaborate in the field of cell therapies. Tops: ‘We are investigating how we can make these innovative treatments accessible to children in Latvia and surrounding countries. In doing so, we are helping children directly, but also accelerating clinical studies.'
The establishment of the Center of Excellence for Precision Medicine in Pediatric Care is possible thanks to funding of €14.4 million from the European Union. The project is receiving additional funding of up to €20 million from private donor John Tully. This funding plays a major role in the launch of the PMPC and provides resources for the construction of the Healthcare Advancement Center on the CCUH campus.