The goal of NCI's Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) Initiative is to identify valid therapeutic targets in childhood cancers so that new, more effective treatments can be rapidly developed. TARGET is coordinated by the Office of Cancer Genomics (OCG) and the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP). There is an overwhelming need for new treatment approaches to childhood cancers. The early victories in health outcomes of the last several decades for children with cancer have slowed. Furthermore, the current treatments for childhood cancers can have serious short- and long-term side effects, and recent molecularly targeted therapy advances have been largely limited to the treatment of adult cancers. The TARGET Initiative seeks to help bring the new era of targeted cancer therapy to bear on the cancers that afflict children. In pursuing its goals, TARGET leverages the strengths of other NCI programs, including the Children's Oncology Group (COG), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the Strategic Partnership to Evaluate Cancer Signatures (SPECS). These collaborations should expedite the discovery of therapeutic targets and catalyze the translation of these findings for clinical application with the ultimate goal of reducing the burden of childhood cancer. SAIC obtains nextgen sequencing capabilities and procures data coordination services.
