Combining retinoic acid with proteasome inhibitors to treat neuroblastoma
Official title: Evaluating the Synergistic Therapeutic Effects of Retinoic Acid and the Proteasome Inhibitors in Neuroblastoma
Funded at Children's Research Institute · NIH-11371019 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant tests a combination of retinoic acid and proteasome inhibitors to treat neuroblastoma in children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $467,968 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA302806-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11371019 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children with high-risk neuroblastoma or those whose disease is modeled by the neuroblastoma systems used in the preclinical work; eventual future trial participants could be identified through clinical collaborations.
✕Less likely to help
Some tumors may not respond to the combination or could experience toxicity that outweigh benefits.
What this research studies
Children with high‑risk neuroblastoma often do not have long-term survival despite current treatments. The project will test whether adding proteasome inhibitors to retinoic acid can boost cancer cell death and help tumors differentiate, in preclinical models. Researchers will use diverse neuroblastoma models, including mouse and human-like systems, to study effectiveness, safety, and how the drugs work together. The work aims to identify the best combination strategies before moving toward trials in patients. This research could pave the way for more durable responses in a difficult pediatric cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the combination could improve survival and reduce relapse for children with neuroblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies have shown synergistic effects of proteasome inhibitors with retinoic acid in neuroblastoma cell lines and xenografts, supporting a potential therapeutic benefit.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Research Institute
Washington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Jianhua — Children's Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Yang, Jianhua
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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.