Better treatments for myeloid leukemia in children with Down syndrome
Official title: Enhancing treatments for myeloid leukemia associated with Down syndrome
Funded at Wayne State University · NIH-11145814 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how bone marrow blood-vessel cells influence why chemotherapy works so well for children with Down syndrome who develop myeloid leukemia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wayne State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $314,126 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA290480-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145814 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with Down syndrome diagnosed with myeloid leukemia, and families willing to provide clinical samples or participate in follow-up, would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, people without Down syndrome, or patients with different cancer types are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
From a patient or family perspective, the team will compare how leukemia cells interact with the bone marrow blood-vessel (endothelial) cells in children with Down syndrome versus other types of AML. They will use human samples and laboratory models to measure cell adhesion, signaling, and response to the chemotherapy drug cytarabine (AraC). The researchers will also study endothelial cells from different tissues and disease states to find functional differences that affect treatment sensitivity. The goal is to explain the unusually high cure rates in ML-DS and identify factors that could reduce relapse.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could suggest treatment or supportive-care changes that lower relapse risk and improve outcomes for children with ML-DS.
How similar studies have gone: Cytarabine-based therapy already cures many ML-DS cases and prior studies show marrow endothelial cells can affect chemotherapy resistance in non-DS AML, but applying those findings specifically to ML-DS is a newer and only partially tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Wayne State University
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Taub, Jeffrey Warren — Wayne State University
- Study coordinator: Taub, Jeffrey Warren
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Enhancing treatments for myeloid leukemia with Down syndrome
This grant explores how bone marrow support cells affect treatment response in children with Down syndrome–related leukemia and aims to improve chemotherapy effectiveness.
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Preventing fatal infections in children with Down syndrome during ALL treatment
Aimed at reducing deadly infections in children with Down syndrome undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia by finding biomarkers to tailor treatment and supportive care.
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Chronic health problems in children with Down syndrome who survived leukemia
This project looks at long-term health issues in kids with Down syndrome who have survived leukemia to understand what problems they may face later on.
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Long-term health after leukemia in children with Down syndrome
This project looks at ongoing medical and thinking problems in children with Down syndrome who had acute leukemia compared with children with Down syndrome who never had cancer.
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Preventing deadly infections in children with Down syndrome during leukemia treatment
This project looks for blood markers that can identify children with Down syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are at high risk for life-threatening infections so doctors can offer extra protection early.
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Investigating the link between Down syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children
This study is looking into why kids with Down syndrome are more likely to get a type of blood cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and it hopes to find out how their genes play a role in this so that we can help keep them healthier.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.