Loizos G. Loizou, Head of Cyprus International Action Plan for Children with Cancer at ELPIDA Foundation for Children with Cancer, shared on LinkedIn:
“My friends,
New hope in Pediatric Oncology: A great scientific development.
A highly promising study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM, August 2026) opens up new avenues for treating advanced solid tumors in children through targeted T-cell therapy.
The clinical case:
A 17-year-old patient with relapsing, widely metastatic nephroblastoma (Wilms tumor) with localizations in the brain, lungs, liver, and abdomen, had exhausted all conventional treatment options.
The Innovation – Targeting the PRAME Protein:
Researchers at the Heidelberg Children’s Cancer Center in Germany (KiTZ) applied an experimental approach by targeting the PRAME protein, a marker expressed in some solid tumors.
The treatment:
A single injection of the patient’s own modified T-cells, programmed to attack PRAME.
Immediate Response:
A biopsy just 9 days after the infusion showed massive invasion of T-cells into the tumor and widespread necrosis of the cancer cells.
Result:
At 3 months, no live cancer cells were detected. More than a year later, the patient remains in complete clinical and radiological remission.
Why it’s important:
Although cellular immunotherapies have revolutionized pediatric leukemias, their application to solid tumors has hitherto encountered major obstacles.
This success proves that targeted immunotherapy can force even very aggressive solid tumors to completely recede. To further evaluate the treatment, a larger clinical trial (PRAMEtime) is already planned for 2027.
The battle against childhood cancer is difficult, but scientific research proves to us every day that no goal is unattainable.
We continue with faith and optimism!”
Loizos G. Loizou was recognized among OncoDaily’s 100 Most Influential People in Oncology in 2025, highlighting their contributions to the field of oncology.
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