ACUTE MYELOI LEUKEMIA
Acute myeloid Leukemia At Relapse in children and teenager: Molecular profiling, Multidrug testing and MSC interaction studies
This program is co-funded by the Enfants sans Cancer 2020 race and was selected following the Fight Kids Cancer call for projects that we launched in January 2020. Learn more
About Myeloid Leukemias
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow. AML is the second most common leukemia in children, after acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Each year, around 80 children in France are diagnosed with AML. The incidence of AML in children is highest during the first two years of life and during adolescence.
Although more than 90% of children achieve complete remission, the relapse rate in the first complete remission remains high (40 to 50%), despite advances in understanding tumor mechanisms, risk stratification, and improvements in intensive chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. The overall risk of relapse remains the most common cause of death.
Learn more about leukemias: link
About the CONECT-AML Project
CONECT-AML (Collaborative Network on Research for Children and Teenagers with Acute Myeloid Leukemia) is a collaborative network comprising several French research teams. Together, they strive to find better ways to detect and treat acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in children and adolescents. This project is an integral part of the Integrated Research Actions Program (PAIR) in pediatric oncology, driven by the INCa (French National Cancer Institute) and in close collaboration with the French Society for the Fight Against Childhood and Adolescent Cancers and Leukemias (SFCE). ALARM 3 is one of the 13 research projects launched by the CONECT-AML collective.
About ALARM 3
The ALARM3 protocol is a clinical research project aimed at better understanding the mechanisms involved in the relapse and resistance of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia. This project develops three research axes:
- Genomic characterization of leukemic cells and mesenchymal stem cells at initial diagnosis and relapse. Mesenchymal cells are found in the bone marrow and are also stem cells that can differentiate into several other tissues (bone, cartilage, muscle, fat, and fibroblasts).
- Comparison of drug sensitivity between initial diagnosis and relapse through ex vivo drug sensitivity tests.
- Identification of new prognostic markers capable of better identifying patients at high risk of relapse.
This protocol is open in the 29 pediatric hematology centers affiliated with the SFCE, and a partnership was signed with the AP-HP (Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris) in 2023. All studies conducted on patient samples, as well as on cultured cells and PDx mouse models, are ongoing and should help identify the biological mechanisms involved in relapsed AML forms.
Project Summary:
- Coordinating Investigators: Drs. Arnaud Petit & Audrey Guilmatre
- Program Duration: January 2021 – January 2025
- Number of Patients: 70
- Countries Involved: France (various research centers in Paris, Lille, Lyon)
- Funding: Fight Kids Cancer: €499,400, including funding from Imagine for Margo: €239,448
