Cell behavior and treatment response in WNT-type childhood medulloblastoma
Official title: Regulation of Cell Fate and Treatment Response in WNT Medulloblastoma
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11178025 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team is working to understand how the gene DDX3X and related changes affect tumor behavior and to develop immune-based treatments for children with WNT-subgroup medulloblastoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2003 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $236,341 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA096832-20 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178025 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children diagnosed with WNT-subgroup medulloblastoma, especially those treated at or able to visit pediatric cancer centers and who can provide tumor tissue or enroll in clinical trials, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children with non-WNT medulloblastoma subgroups or unrelated brain tumors are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this WNT-focused work.
What this research studies
Researchers focus on a gene called DDX3X that helps developing brain cells decide whether to grow, change, or die, and they study how DDX3X mutations contribute to WNT-subgroup medulloblastoma in children. They use lab-grown cells, animal models, and human tumor samples to trace how these molecular changes alter cell fate, tumor formation, and the tumor environment — including effects on the blood–brain barrier that can change how chemotherapy reaches the tumor. The team will develop and test new immune-based therapies tailored to WNT medulloblastoma and plan to move the most promising approaches into clinical trials at collaborating pediatric centers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could yield targeted immunotherapies or treatment strategies that improve cure rates and reduce long-term side effects for children with WNT medulloblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab studies from this team identified DDX3X mutations and helped explain chemotherapy sensitivity in WNT tumors, but developing targeted immunotherapies for WNT medulloblastoma is a newer and still experimental direction.
Where this research is happening
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gilbertson, Richard — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Gilbertson, Richard
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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.