On Thursday, June 26, 2025, Imagine for Margo announced the selected projects from the 2025 Fight Kids Cancer call for proposals. France’s leading childhood cancer research funding organization will allocate, along with its European partners, €12 million to support 8 ambitious research programs focused on the most difficult-to-cure pediatric cancers.
Fight Kids Cancer: a European call for projects funding the most promising research against childhood cancer
Launched in 2020, Fight Kids Cancer is a European initiative by Imagine for Margo (France), KickCancer Foundation (Belgium) and the Kriibskrank Kanner Foundation (Luxembourg), in partnership with the European Science Foundation (ESF) and a panel of international scientific experts. In just five years, this unique funding model will have allocated more than €41 million to 46 cutting-edge research projects by September 2025. Two additional foundations joined in 2023: Cris Cancer Foundation (Spain) and KiKa (Netherlands).
In 2025, 22 research projects were evaluated by an independent panel based on three criteria: patient impact, scientific excellence, and innovation. As a result, 5 clinical trials and 3 translational research projects will receive funding from Imagine for Margo and its partner foundations. The total amount of €12 million represents a record commitment.
Patricia Blanc, Founder and President of Imagine for Margo, stated:
“This year’s selected projects are the result of our growing unity across Europe. We know pediatric oncology clinical research struggles to get full funding. For the first time, we are directly funding five clinical trials so they can open swiftly across EU countries. This is a critical step forward, and these €12 million we have raised together will bring real hope for healing to the children who need it. GO! FIGHT! WIN!”
5 Clinical Trials Bringing Innovation to the Patient Bedside
ACHILLES / HR-NBL2: Two innovative first-line treatment strategies for high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma accounts for 10% of pediatric cancers, often diagnosed before age five, and more than half of cases are metastatic at diagnosis. High-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NBL) has a poor prognosis despite aggressive treatment. This clinical trial evaluates two innovative first-line strategies: a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy (Dinutuximab beta), and the addition of an ALK inhibitor, Lorlatinib, for patients with specific mutations.
- Indication: High-risk neuroblastoma, first-line
- Treatment arms: 2 therapeutic combinations
- Patients: 217
- Funding: €1,657,000
GD2-CART01_EU: CAR-T cells to overcome relapses in high-risk neuroblastoma
This project develops CAR-T therapy targeting GD2, a neuroblastoma cell marker. GD2-CART01 has shown strong efficacy and manageable toxicity in Phase I/II and was granted PRIME designation by the EMA. The multicenter trial, led by Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome, will involve 27 patients in 9 European countries between 2025 and 2029.
- Indication: High-risk and relapsed neuroblastoma
- Approach: GD2-targeted CAR-T cells
- Patients: 27
- Funding: €1,500,000
CARINA: A novel CAR-T approach for relapsed pediatric myeloid leukemia
CARINA uses CD45-targeted CAR-T cells derived from healthy donors to eliminate leukemic and bone marrow cells, enabling safe bone marrow transplantation. The study will include 24 children with relapsed/refractory AML and is led by University College London.
- Indication: Relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- Approach: CD45 CAR-T therapy + transplant
- Patients: 24
- Funding: €2,200,000
INTER-EWING 1: International trial to improve survival in metastatic Ewing sarcoma
This trial focuses on optimizing therapy for metastatic Ewing sarcoma. It tests adding regorafenib to standard chemotherapy, prolonged low-dose chemo at the end of treatment, and adaptive radiotherapy. It also includes biological sampling, imaging, and quality of life assessments.
- Indication: Metastatic Ewing sarcoma
- Treatment: Regorafenib + chemo (Phase III)
- Patients: 150
- Funding: €1,464,000
INTER-B-NHL 2025: Less toxic treatments for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children
This study evaluates replacing doxorubicin with rituximab in standard-risk B-NHL to reduce toxicity. It includes 300 patients across 12+ countries and incorporates digital patient-reported outcomes.
- Indication: Pediatric B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Treatment: Rituximab-based de-escalation
- Patients: 300
- Funding: €1,200,000
3 Translational Research Projects: Preparing Tomorrow’s Therapies
CRYSTAL-Immune: Enhancing immunotherapy for leukemias invading the central nervous system
Coordinated by Prof. Christina Halsey (University of Glasgow), this project aims to map and strengthen immune responses in the cerebrospinal fluid to develop more effective, less toxic immunotherapies for CNS-infiltrating acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
- Indication: CNS-infiltrating ALL
- Goal: Optimize CAR-T and reduce neurological side effects
- Funding: €1,500,000
EurATRT: Moving toward precision medicine for pediatric rhabdoid tumors
Building on the SIOPE ATRT01 trial, this study aims to identify genetic markers of treatment response, monitor early relapse, and test targeted therapies using patient-derived models.
- Indication: Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumors (ATRT)
- Patients: 300
- Funding: €1,300,000
SIGBMRRI: Understanding treatment resistance in aggressive pediatric brain tumors
Led by Dr. Manav Pathania (University of Cambridge), this project investigates how high-grade gliomas and ependymomas resist radiotherapy and immunotherapy, focusing on tumor microenvironment and experimental models to develop new strategies.
- Indication: High-grade pediatric brain tumors
- Goal: Overcome resistance to radio/immunotherapy
- Funding: €1,132,000
Together, Let’s Keep Advancing Research!
Each of these projects represents hope for children with cancer. None would be possible without the incredible support of participants in the Enfants sans Cancer race.
On September 28, whether you walk 2 or 5 km or run 5 or 10 km, you’ll directly support these critical research efforts.
Every step counts. Join the movement. Help us beat childhood cancer.