Genomics study launches to optimise childhood cancer care in Ireland

It is hoped that the MAGIC-I study will support earlier diagnosis and personalised treatment

A five-year clinical study aiming to optimise childhood cancer care in Ireland has been launched.

MAGIC-I, or Molecular and Genomic Interrogation of Childhood Cancer – Ireland, is focused on better understanding how and why cancer develops, and why outcomes and side effects vary between patients.

It is hoped that the project will support earlier diagnosis and personalised treatments for patients.

MAGIC-I, which is Ireland’s first clinical study of genomics approaches in cancer care, will seek to establish the processes to carry out deep genomic analysis for all children and adolescents with cancer in the country.

Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer of Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE), described the launch as a “significant milestone in Irish cancer care”.

“It is a great example [of] the vision of introducing genome sequencing and accompanying research into clinical care, laid out in the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine in Ireland, which was developed by the HSE to advance healthcare using leading edge technology and approaches,” he said.

MAGIC-I was initially funded through a donation to University College Dublin and has been developed in collaboration between Systems Biology Ireland (SBI) and Children’s Health Ireland, in partnership with Precision Oncology Ireland and industry collaborators.

Walter Kolch, director of SBI and a MAGIC-I investigator, said: “I cannot emphasise enough how big of a signal this is for the Irish healthcare system and likely also beyond it.

“It is a trailblazer in incorporating new concepts for personalised medicine, such as digital twins, and for hand-in-glove cooperation between clinical research and cutting-edge computational modelling, which is still very unique,” Kolch added.