Abstract IA11: The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project: Lessons learned

Abstract

Abstract In January of 2010, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and The Genome Institute at the Washington University announced the launch of the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project (PCGP), a three year, $65 million privately funded initiative. The stated goal of this effort was to obtain 30-fold haploid coverage of the whole genome of 600 pediatric tumors and matched non-tumor germ line DNA samples (1200 total genomes), and to analyze these data in order to define the landscape of somatic mutations that underlie the major subtypes of pediatric leukemia, brain tumors, and solid malignancies. The initial phase of this project was completed in February of this year with over 700 pediatric cancers analyzed (1400 genomes). This effort has produced fundamental insights into each of the pediatric cancer subtypes sequenced. Not only has the data defined the spectrum of mutations that underlying specific pediatric cancers, but for some of the diseases analyzed, we have identified new prognostic markers and/or therapeutic targets. The effort has led to the generation of an incredibly rich data source that should serve the scientific community for years to come. Based on the success of PCGP, we have begun a $30 million second phase of the project (PCGP Phase II) that will be completed in a two year timeframe. In this second phase, we will focus not only on discovery science, but also on the establishing the technologies, analytical tools, and medical interface needed to move genome-wide sequence analyses into the diagnostic work up of pediatric cancer patients. In this talk, I will present an overview of this project and highlight some of the important results that have emerged. Citation Format: James R. Downing. The St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project: Lessons learned. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pediatric Cancer at the Crossroads: Translating Discovery into Improved Outcomes; Nov 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;74(20 Suppl):Abstract nr IA11.