Bispecific antibodies to help kids fight neuroblastoma and brain tumors
Official title: Bispecific Antibody Therapeutics for Neuroblastoma and Diffuse Midline Glioma
Funded at Seattle Children's Hospital · NIH-11413442 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pediatric-focused grant tests new bispecific antibodies that help the immune system attack childhood cancers like neuroblastoma and brain tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Seattle Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $816,117 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA281848-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11413442 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children aged 0-11 with neuroblastoma or diffuse midline glioma (DMG/DIPG) or related pediatric solid tumors.
✕Less likely to help
Children whose tumors do not respond to immunotherapy or cannot be infiltrated by T cells may see little or no benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to overcome barriers that make immunotherapy hard for children with solid tumors and brain cancers by using bispecific T cell engagers. Researchers plan to improve how T cells reach tumors and cross the blood-brain barrier so the therapy can work in non-resectable or metastatic cases. They will use self-disassembling polymeric chemokines to attract T cells into tumors and study a novel antibody that showed promise in a brain tumor mouse model. The work combines lab studies with patient-derived models to understand why the treatment helps survival. If successful, this could open new treatment options for children with difficult cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could provide a new, more effective immunotherapy option for children with neuroblastoma and brain tumors, potentially improving survival.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier studies in models suggest bispecific antibodies can redirect T cells to kill cancer cells, with promising but early results in pediatric contexts.
Where this research is happening
-
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Olson, James M — Seattle Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Olson, James M
Related research
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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.