Circular extrachromosomal DNA in high‑risk medulloblastoma
Official title: Investigation of ecDNA as a driver of intratumoral heterogeneity and treatment resistance in high-risk medulloblastoma
Funded at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute · NIH-11159744 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether tiny circular pieces of DNA outside chromosomes help tumors in children with high‑risk medulloblastoma become different inside and resist treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $636,772 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS132780-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159744 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be children with high‑risk or recurrent medulloblastoma whose tumor tissue and clinical data can be shared with the research team, or families interested in future trials based on ecDNA findings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without medulloblastoma, those with low‑risk disease unlikely to harbor ecDNA, or those unable to provide tumor samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this work in the short term.
What this research studies
The team analyzed whole genome data from a large group of medulloblastoma tumor samples and found circular extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in about 18% of cases, linked to worse outcomes. They will use computational methods to map ecDNA and lab experiments, including CRISPR and drug tests, to see how ecDNA changes tumor cells and causes treatment resistance. The work combines data from many hospitals with lab models to connect tumor DNA patterns to how tumors evolve and respond to therapies. The goal is to pinpoint the mechanisms by which ecDNA drives tumor diversity and treatment failure in children.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could explain why some children's medulloblastomas resist treatment and suggest new biomarkers or drug targets to improve outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: ecDNA has been tied to oncogene amplification and treatment resistance in several other cancers, but its role in medulloblastoma is less studied, so this approach is partly novel though informed by prior cancer research.
Where this research is happening
-
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chavez, Lukas — Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute
- Study coordinator: Chavez, Lukas
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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.