Creating a 3D model to study childhood eye cancer
Official title: 3-Dimensional Retinal Organoid Platform for the Study of Retinoblastoma
Funded at University of Miami School of Medicine · NIH-10857171 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new way to grow tiny eye models to learn more about retinoblastoma, the most common eye cancer in kids, so that we can find better and safer treatments for young patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Miami School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Coral Gables, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $436,652 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA248890-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10857171 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children under 11 years old who are diagnosed with or at risk for retinoblastoma.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with retinoblastoma who are already in advanced stages of the disease may not benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a three-dimensional retinal organoid platform to better understand retinoblastoma, the most common eye cancer in children. By using advanced techniques, including CRISPR, the researchers aim to create models that mimic the early stages of this cancer, which could lead to more effective and less toxic treatment options. The study seeks to bridge the knowledge gap regarding the molecular drivers of retinoblastoma progression, which is crucial for developing targeted therapies. This innovative approach aims to provide insights that current animal models cannot offer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective and less harmful treatments for children with retinoblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been advancements in cancer modeling, this specific approach using 3D retinal organoids for retinoblastoma is novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Miami School of Medicine
Coral Gables, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pelaez, Daniel — University of Miami School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Pelaez, Daniel
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how premalignant retinoblastoma lesions form and progress in children
Researchers are studying how early retinal lesions in kids with RB1 loss become malignant, with the goal of finding ways to prevent retinoblastoma progression.
-
Aqueous humor liquid biopsy to guide prognosis and monitoring in children with retinoblastoma
A liquid test using a small amount of eye fluid could reveal important tumor details to help predict how retinoblastoma in young children will behave and how well treatment is working.
-
Parent-of-Origin Effects in Retinoblastoma: Epigenetic Drivers of Tumor Risk and Progression
A study using long-read DNA sequencing to understand how the parent of origin of RB1 gene variants affects retinoblastoma risk and progression, with potential to guide personalized monitoring and treatment.
-
Retinoblastoma eye-sparing treatment for young children
A new, targeted eye treatment for young children with retinoblastoma aims to save eyes and reduce radiation exposure by delivering medicine directly into the eye.
-
How early retinal changes lead to retinoblastoma
This project looks at how early abnormal cells in the retina form and later turn into retinoblastoma in children, using lab-grown retinal tissue.
-
A tiny eye-fluid test to predict and track retinoblastoma in young children
This project uses a very small sample of eye fluid to look for tumor DNA that could help predict how retinoblastoma will behave and to follow treatment in children.
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.