The Childhood Cancer and Hematologic Diseases Group at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) has received a donation of €20,761 thanks to El Legado de Pol, an initiative launched in memory of Pol, a child affected by leukemia with the KMT2A:MLLT3 genetic alteration, a rare subtype that mainly affects babies and very young children.

“Leukemia is the most common pediatric cancer and, thanks to decades of research, we now achieve cure rates close to 90%. However, not all leukemias are the same,” explains Dr. Pablo Velasco, attending physician in the Pediatric Oncology and Hematology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and researcher in the Childhood Cancer and Hematologic Diseases Group at VHIR. “Some, such as leukemias with the KMT2A:MLLT3 alteration, have a much poorer prognosis and very limited treatment options. This project aims to demonstrate that this is a biologically distinct disease and to identify drugs capable of changing its prognosis,” he adds.

The research project promoted by El Legado de Pol, currently underway, aims to thoroughly analyze the biology of this type of leukemia, study which tumor pathways are most activated, and identify potential therapeutic targets. Based on this knowledge, studies with specific drugs can be carried out to help improve the survival of affected children. This approach also contributes to the development of personalized medicine and may generate knowledge applicable to other types of cancer beyond the pediatric field.

“Research in pediatric cancer faces major challenges, such as the scarcity of samples, data, and funding, as these are often rare diseases,” notes Margarita Ortega, from the Hematology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and researcher in the Experimental Hematology Group at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO). “For this reason, the support of initiatives such as El Legado de Pol is key to giving visibility to these children and making research lines possible that would otherwise be very difficult to develop.”

El Legado de Pol

Sergi and Núria, Pol’s parents, launched the El Legado de Pol initiative with the aim of supporting research and raising awareness about their son’s illness. Pol passed away one year after being diagnosed with this rare leukemia at eighteen months of age.

“For us, it has been very important that Vall d’Hebron wanted to investigate Pol’s leukemia at the time of his passing. In some way, this gives us hope that one day more children suffering from this disease or similar conditions may be cured,” they explain.

Since the initiative began, the public response has exceeded all expectations. “We could never have imagined the tremendous support the project has received since we introduced ourselves through social media. Everything achieved has been thanks to individuals, companies, and organizations that wanted to collaborate and organize various charitable activities,” they emphasize.

In addition to financial support for research, El Legado de Pol has also focused on awareness-raising, delivering talks in schools and high schools to share their story and promote awareness about childhood cancer.

The family also expressed gratitude for the support received from the Vall d’Hebron team. “None of this would have been possible without the commitment of Dr. Velasco, the researchers leading the project, especially Magui, and everyone at Vall d’Hebron who has accompanied us throughout the entire process,” they conclude.