Globally, 40% of children with cancer succumb to the disease, and even in countries with advanced healthcare like Germany, 20% of these children do not survive. The shortage of resources, particularly in low-income nations, leads to a lack of expert training, including specialized pathologists, hindering precise diagnostics. To address this, the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), and Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) initiated the “MNP Outreach” consortium. This global outreach study aims to help low-income countries establish modern molecular cancer diagnostics for children.
The partner countries in this initiative include Jordan, Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, and Qatar. The program involves training scientists from these countries in Heidelberg, providing laboratory equipment, and supplying the necessary analysis software for modern molecular diagnostic procedures developed in Heidelberg.
The “Ein Herz für Kinder” organization is subsidizing the collaboration with partner countries for the next five years, supporting the training of physicians and laboratory staff. The consortium’s goal is to enable partner countries to establish the entire diagnostic process, from tumor sample preparation to data analysis and interpretation in their laboratories, ideally free of charge for young patients.
The diagnostic procedure employs an AI-based method developed by the KiTZ, DKFZ, and UKHD teams, and published in the journal Nature in 2018. This method, accessible on the “Molecular Neuropathology” website, evaluates DNA methylations in the tumor’s genetic material, allowing for reliable tumor classification. Methylation patterns have been incorporated into the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications of childhood tumors.
The consortium facilitates the use of this algorithm in partner countries for therapy decisions, aiming to provide equal chances for children with cancer worldwide. The program emphasizes the significance of methylation analysis in improving treatment decisions, potentially increasing survival rates for children and young people with cancer globally.
