Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research

 A previous post discussed the Childhood Cancer STAR Act, but there's another important piece of legislation about childhood cancer research: Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research (Kids First). From the NIH (x):

"The goal of the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) is to help researchers uncover new insights into the biology of childhood cancer and structural birth defects, including the discovery of shared genetic pathways between these disorders. Children with birth defects have an increased risk of developing childhood cancer. This suggests there are shared genetic pathways underlying some types of childhood cancer and structural birth defects. Kids First is achieving this goal through two initiatives: 1) identifying children with childhood cancer and structural birth defects and their families for whole genome sequencing performed by the Kids First sequencing centers 2) developing the Gabriella Miller Kids First Data Resource, a large-scale database of clinical and genetic data from patients with childhood cancers and structural birth defects and their families. Analyzing genetic sequence data from children with childhood cancer and structural birth defects together may lead to the discovery of new genetic pathways."

Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Fund logo

 

Between 2015 and 2022, more than 21,000 kids had genomes sequenced in 63 cohorts. The data from 21 of these cohorts is available on a cloud-based platform, allowing researchers to collaborate. This is so important in scientific research, especially in fields like childhood cancer where researchers are limited due to funding or other factors. Learn more about the platform here.

Kids First is named after Gabriella Miller, a childhood cancer fighter and advocate who died of DIPG at age 10 in 2013 (x). This act was passed less than six months after her death (x). The act pledges $12.6 million over 10 years, meaning in will run out in the near future. Stay tuned for more details on advocating for the renewal of this funding.

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