The Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) is a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD) and the University of Heidelberg (Uni HD).
"We would like to thank all our supporters and long-time companions who support modern research for children with cancer and help us to get such innovative projects off the ground," says Gerda Diehl, who founded the foundation together with her husband in memory of their daughter who died of cancer. “It is my great wish that there will be a future in which families are spared a fate like ours and no more children have to die of cancer.”
Every year, the foundation therefore funds selected research projects to improve treatment and diagnostic procedures for childhood cancer. At this year's board meeting, two research projects were selected that focus on the particular challenges of brain tumors in children and adolescents. Brain tumors in children and adolescents are among the most difficult tumors to treat in young patients. There are hardly any treatment options, especially for relapses. At the genetic level, these tumors are extremely mutable and occur in numerous subgroups. The two research teams want to use molecular studies and AI-based simulations to characterize the molecular patterns in the tumours, which can be used to reliably predict malignant progression and relapses. The aim is to be able to give each young patient an individual treatment recommendation and to develop targeted cancer therapies for children and adolescents with fewer side effects. The foundation is now enabling the implementation of both projects with funding of 100,000 euros each.
"Modern cancer research can only be achieved with great scientific efforts and considerable financial resources, and children need our special support here," emphasizes Olaf Witt, Chairman of the Foundation, Director of KiTZ, Head of the Clinical Cooperation Unit Pediatric Oncology at DKFZ and Senior Consultant at Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD). "We are extremely grateful to the Diehl couple and all supporters of the KiTZ Foundation in memory of Kirstin Diehl for their commitment to our vision of being able to offer personalized therapy to every paediatric oncology patient."
The KiTZ Foundation in memory of Kirstin Diehl
The "KiTZ Foundation in memory of Kirstin Diehl" was established as the "Kirstin Diehl Foundation" in October 2006 by Gerd and Gerda Diehl, Kirstin Diehl's parents. It was transferred to the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) in 2021 as the "KiTZ Foundation in memory of Kirstin Diehl" as a trust foundation. The foundation supports pediatric cancer research, including clinical research, infrastructure projects and innovative patient care at the Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ).
