Condensates and ZFTA-driven Ependymoma in kids
Official title: Condensates in Ependymoma
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11392538 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pediatric brain tumor grant explores how ZFTA fusion proteins drive cancer by forming condensates, with the aim of finding new ways to target these tumors.
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 | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $533,588 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA298963-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392538 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children diagnosed with ependymoma, especially tumors driven by ZFTA fusions, or individuals contributing tumor samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with ependymoma not driven by ZFTA fusions or those not contributing samples may not directly benefit from this specific mechanism-focused research.
What this research studies
This project looks at how ZFTA fusion oncoproteins recruit other proteins to boost cancer gene activity in pediatric ependymoma. Using a collaboration with the Kriwacki Lab, researchers will apply an ML-guided mutagenesis approach to identify protein regions essential for condensate formation and chromatin binding. The team will test how altering these regions affects tumor development in neural cells, with the goal of uncovering targets for therapy. Findings could reveal new mechanisms to disrupt oncogenic transcription and condensate formation in ZFTA-driven tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to targeted strategies to disrupt condensate-related cancer processes in pediatric ependymoma.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary work shows condensate biology can influence oncogenic transcription, with ML-guided mutagenesis providing a promising path for identifying critical regions.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mack, Stephen C — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Mack, Stephen C
Related research
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ZFTA-RELA Ependymoma: uncovering what drives this pediatric brain cancer
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This project aims to understand how a specific genetic change drives an aggressive type of children's brain cancer called ependymoma, hoping to find new ways to treat it.
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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.