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From molecular insights to informed preclinical study design
Which paediatric tumour models are relevant to a particular treatment approach? How do they differ in their molecular characteristics? And which models could help investigate potential sensitivity or resistance?
The molecular data available through ITCC-P4 provide a foundation for addressing these questions. They include genomic alterations, gene expression and DNA methylation profiles, helping researchers explore the biological features of models and identify those relevant to a proposed mechanism of action.
These insights support more than model selection. They can help refine a research hypothesis, identify informative comparison groups and shape studies that explore how molecular differences relate to treatment response. Gene expression data, for example, can provide an initial indication of target relevance, while also helping identify where further characterisation is needed.
A subset of the platform’s molecular data is publicly accessible through the R2 database. Partners can contact ITCC-P4 to discuss additional data access and scientific support tailored to their research questions.
Working with academic and industry partners, we connect these molecular insights with scientific advice for preclinical development planning. Together with our three partner CROs, we help translate research questions into relevant studies and interpret the resulting evidence to guide subsequent decisions.
Our aim is to help partners understand not only which models to study, but also what they can learn from them, and how those findings can inform the development of treatments for children and adolescents with cancer.