PATTERN

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Investigation of spatial and temporal tumour heterogeneity in neuroblastoma

  • IRAS ID

    337388

  • Contact name

    Stefano Giuliani

  • Contact email

    Stefano.guiliani@gosh.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    3 years, 0 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    PATTERN is a prospective observational cohort study of children with high-risk neuroblastoma undergoing multi-regional biopsies at multiple time points. The study will include children aged <17 years diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma and managed at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. The study will start August 2024 and run for three years.

    Multiregional biopsies will be taken at diagnosis from a priori selected regions of interest. These regions will be determined by the tumour MDT. These same regions of interest will be sampled at surgery. If the disease relapses, the tumour will be sampled again (either via multiregional biopsy or surgery). Serial comparative analysis of these matched samples will provide a prospective picture of the tumour's evolution.

    The study aims to: 1) describe the spatial and temporal tumour heterogeneity of high-risk neuroblastoma, and correlate this with clinical imaging, liquid biopsy, and disease outcome data (exploratory aim); 2) characterise known and novel targets for fluorescence-guided surgery in neuroblastoma and investigate how these targets respond to treatment; and 3) investigate and validate novel surgical technologies to improve surgical outcomes.

    Outcomes from PATTERN will include the identification of new drivers of tumour progression and metastasis that may represent new targets for treatment. The identification and evaluation of fluorescence-guided surgery markers, and the validation of novel surgical technologies, will improve the outcomes of surgical resection, preventing local recurrence and minimising morbidity.

  • REC name

    East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    24/EE/0182

  • Date of REC Opinion

    30 Sep 2024

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion