Ecosystem
Part of Europe’s paediatric cancer research ecosystem
EPICA-DIPG is part of a coordinated European effort to advance clinical research in paediatric cancer under the EU Cancer Mission cluster “Diagnosis and Treatment – Innovative clinical trials for paediatric cancer”.
Together with PHOENIX and THEODORA, EPICA-DIPG contributes to a shared framework for developing and evaluating innovative clinical trial approaches.
Phoenix
RESEARCH FOCUS
Safety, efficacy, combination treatment and translational biomarkers.
COORDINATOR
Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR)
COORDINATING COUNTRY
Spain
EPICA-DIPG
Immunotherapy trial for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.
A multinational early-phase clinical trial evaluating a complex immunotherapy approach for DIPG together with companion diagnostics and cross-centre delivery.
RESEARCH FOCUS
Safety, efficacy, combination treatment and translational biomarkers.
COORDINATOR
Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute
COORDINATING COUNTRY
Spain
Theodora
RESEARCH FOCUS
TCR-T therapy, liquid biopsy, AI-enhanced imaging, immune profiling and patient-reported outcomes.
COORDINATOR
Institut Curie
COORDINATING COUNTRY
France
How the cluster works
The three projects collaborate through joint activities aligned with the objectives of the EU Cancer Mission.
01
Scientific exchange
Regular coordination and meetings
02
Joint events
Workshops and webinars
03
Shared dissemination
Publications and communication
04
Stakeholder engagement
Patients, families, researchers and policymakers
05
Cross-project learning
Supporting future research approaches
EuROPEAN ECOSYSTEM DATA
A shared European commitment to understanding cancer
UNCAN.eu (European Initiative to UNderstand CANcer) is one of the 13 specific objectives of the EU Mission on Cancer and one of the ten flagship initiatives of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
Its development was prepared through 4.UNCAN.eu, a Coordination and Support Action established to produce a blueprint for the future UNCAN.eu research data platform. This included a strategy for a federated cancer research data hub and a set of cross-border research use cases.
EPICA-DIPG contributes to the development of the future UNCAN.eu platform by supporting the structured sharing and reuse of cancer research data.
Structuring data for future research
Clinical, biological and imaging data generated by the project will be structured and shared to support reuse in future research, particularly in rare paediatric cancers where data availability remains limited.
Where appropriate, data will also be made available through complementary European platforms, contributing to a broader ecosystem of interoperable cancer research data.
FAIR research data
F
Findable
Described and indexed so relevant datasets and outputs can be discovered.
A
Accessible
Available through clear, proportionate access conditions.
I
Interoperable
Structured to work with other European data resources and standards.
R
Reusable
Documented and prepared to support new analyses, tools and studies.
Ecosystem infraestructures
European infrastructures and networks
EPICA-DIPG is connected to research infrastructures and initiatives that support clinical research, data management and collaboration in paediatric oncology.
These infrastructures, networks and platforms support the collection, management and sharing of high-quality data across countries, while strengthening interoperable and collaborative research approaches.
