Abstract Post-mortem biospecimens represent unprecedented resources for understanding tumor progression, treatment resistance, spatial heterogeneity, and end-stage disease biology in pediatric brain tumors. However, the access to well annotated, harmonized datasets that integrate post-mortem molecular data with longitudinal clinical and molecular tumor evolution information has remained limited. Through a partnership between the Swifty Foundation led Gift from a Child (GFAC) program and the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN), we have established the largest to date, deeply annotated collection of datasets derived from post-mortem pediatric brain tumor specimens. Here, we present the rigorously curated, open-science post-mortem data product to support broad scientific explorations. The dataset integrates molecular, clinical and imaging data from approximately 200 GFAC–CBTN patients with post-mortem collections. When available, the cohort is augmented with longitudinal tumor data from initial diagnosis through progression and/or recurrence, as well as spatially resolved post-mortem tumor sampling. The genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic datasets are harmonized across platforms and linked to additional available milti-omic data. The cohort is further complemented with patient-derived tissue culture tumor models developed from these tumors. This data product is delivered as a part of Pediatric Brain Tumor Atlas (PBTA) initiative and available through the Kids First Data Resource, PedcBioPortal, CAVATICA, and Flywheel, ensuring broad accessibility while maintaining appropriate data governance. Processed data are freely available as open-access components, while controlled-access raw molecular and imaging data are being accessible via dbGaP database. Collectively, this data product serves as a foundational, community-accessible resource to accelerate biological discovery, translational research, and collaborative investigations into pediatric brain tumor evolution driving forward Michael Gustafson’s Master Plan.
Koptyra et al. (Tue,) studied this question.