MAGIC-I, the country’s first clinical study of genomics approaches in cancer care, is set to revolutionise childhood cancer care in Ireland
MAGIC-I is a five-year clinical study that uses genetics, genomics and big data to optimise treatments for childhood cancers. The project will put processes in place to carry out deep genomic analysis for all children and adolescents with cancer in Ireland, including those who have relapsed.
At the study’s launch, Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer of Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE), said: “This launch is a significant milestone in Irish cancer care. It is a great example of the translation of new knowledge and advances in technology into improved patient outcomes. This shares the vision of the ‘National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine in Ireland,’ which was developed by the HSE to integrate genetics and genomics into clinical practice at all stages of the patient pathway.”
Genome sequencing is advancing childhood cancers
MAGIC-I was initially funded through a philanthropic donation to University College Dublin (UCD) to bridge clinical activities at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals with computational modelling and data science at Systems Biology Ireland (SBI) research centre based at UCD. It was developed in close collaboration between SBI and CHI, in partnership with Precision Oncology Ireland, to work with Illumina and its Dragen software and sequencing reagents.
Director of SBI, who co-led the data analytics and infrastructure work stream in the national genomics strategy, and a MAGIC-I investigator, Professor Walter Kolch said: “I cannot emphasise enough how big of a signal this is for the Irish healthcare system and likely also beyond it. Importantly, it steps up to a global ambition in its seamless amalgamation of clinical research with advanced computational modelling. 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.”
Principal Investigator in MAGIC-I and SBI, Professor of Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology at Trinity College Dublin, and Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at CHI, Crumlin, Professor Owen Smith said: “In the past decade, genome sequencing has not only enabled critical advances in our understanding of how leukaemia develops but also why some patients fail to respond to initial treatment, relapse later, or experience severe toxicities leading to injury, secondary illnesses and secondary cancers. The rollout of MAGIC-I will allow the clinical implementation of sequence-based approaches for more precise diagnosis and management of cancers that will ultimately translate into better patient outcomes. It will allow us to develop personalised treatments for Irish children who develop cancer.”
Mark Robinson, VP and General Manager for UK and Ireland, and Northern Europe, said: “Illumina is proud to support MAGIC-I in this close collaborative effort to introduce whole genome and transcriptome sequencing analysis to help researchers improve the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancers. Using our comprehensive suite of Dragen software tools and Illumina sequencing reagents will help get the study off to the best possible start.”
