The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and BGI announced a formal agreement to collaborate on research into next-generation sequencing and analysis of pediatric brain tumors, in support of the Childhood Brain Tumor Tissue Consortium. The research initiative will draw on the resources of the Joint Genome Center BGI@CHOP. That center provides next-generation sequencing (NGS) under CAP/CLIA guidelines, which represent the gold standard of quality in clinical laboratory testing.

The CBTTC is a collaborative pediatric research group that brings together four institutions: The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Seattle Children's Hospital and Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The consortium is dedicated to the collection, annotation, and molecular analyses of children's brain tumors. Next-generation sequencing of pediatric brain tumors offers a deep and comprehensive view into the genetic underpinnings of these often-devastating solid tumors.

In collaboration with BGI's genomics platforms, the new project will support the development of new and more effective forms of therapy targeted to each patient's specific subtype of brain tumor.