Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital Joins Global Network to Advance Brain Tumor Research

In a significant step toward improving treatments for childhood brain tumors, Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital has officially joined the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) of leading childhood brain tumor research and treatment centers. This collaboration aims to accelerate the discovery of new therapies for young patients facing these critical diagnoses.

Siteman Kids is the pediatric oncology program of Siteman Cancer Center, which is based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WashU Medicine). Siteman Kids leverages the world-class care offered by WashU Medicine with the most advanced medical treatments available to provide a compassionate, family-centered experience.

When children are admitted with symptoms of brain tumors, timely identification and treatment are essential. CBTN member institutions, including Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and WashU Medicine, work together to gather tissue specimens — such as tumor tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid — that are typically excess tissue not required for diagnosis and would otherwise be discarded.

Siteman Kids and WashU Medicine are well-equipped to handle these specimens, utilizing techniques like flash-freezing with liquid nitrogen to ensure safe transportation to the CBTN operations center. This partnership facilitates the development of tumor models that replicate various tumor characteristics, providing critical insights for researchers.

“The donated specimens play a crucial role in understanding the complex biology of childhood brain and central nervous system tumors,” said Andrew Cluster, MD, a WashU Medicine associate professor of pediatric hematology and oncology at Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “Through our partnership with CBTN, we are committed to developing innovative treatments that enhance our understanding of brain tumor biology.”

With more than 100 brain tumor subtypes identified, many hospitals treat only a few cases of specific types each year. By centralizing tissue resources, CBTN enables researchers to access a broader range of samples, fostering advancements in understanding brain tumor biology and improving outcomes for all patients.

Each tissue sample collected is deidentified before genetic sequencing, ensuring patient privacy while providing valuable data to researchers worldwide. The collaborative approach through CBTN is essential, as individual institutions often lack the resources to gather enough samples for significant findings.

Brain tumors remain the leading cause of disease-related death in children, but through the efforts of dedicated professionals and the generosity of families, CBTN is pioneering new ways to detect and treat these conditions, bringing hope to young patients and their families.