Creating personalized vaccines for neuroblastoma in children
Official title: Personalized neuroblastoma vaccines
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-10890109 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on creating special vaccines just for kids with high-risk neuroblastoma, a tough type of cancer, to help their immune systems fight the cancer better and hopefully keep it from coming back.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $777,310 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA281881-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10890109 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma who have not responded adequately to standard therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with low-risk neuroblastoma or those who have already exhausted all treatment options may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing personalized vaccines for children with high-risk neuroblastoma, a challenging cancer that often does not respond well to standard treatments. The approach involves identifying unique neoantigens from each patient's tumor to create tailored vaccines that stimulate the immune system to target and eliminate cancer cells. By engaging the body's adaptive immune response, the goal is to reduce the chances of cancer relapse and improve overall survival rates. The research will involve rigorous testing to validate the effectiveness of these personalized vaccines.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve survival rates and reduce the side effects of treatment for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using personalized vaccines for other cancers, indicating potential success for this novel approach in neuroblastoma.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maris, John M — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Maris, John M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Computational and functional screens to find actionable neuroblastoma drivers
Researchers are using advanced computer analysis and lab tests to find new genes and drug targets in neuroblastoma, aiming to improve outcomes for children.
-
Understanding ATRX in neuroblastoma: new protein functions and treatment clues
A short, patient-friendly look at a study exploring how altered ATRX proteins in neuroblastoma might influence disease behavior and response to therapy.
-
Neuroblastoma and radiopharmaceuticals: understanding how targeted radiation affects kids’ tumors
A pediatric cancer grant studies how a targeted radiotherapy called 131I-MIBG affects tumor and surrounding cells in children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
-
Bispecific antibodies to help kids fight neuroblastoma and brain tumors
A pediatric-focused grant tests new bispecific antibodies that help the immune system attack childhood cancers like neuroblastoma and brain tumors.
-
ADEPT-STAR therapy for high risk neuroblastoma
A new cell-based therapy approach aims to help children with high-risk neuroblastoma by using off-the-shelf, donor-derived treatments.
-
MYCN and ferroptosis: a new vulnerability in pediatric neuroblastoma
A study in children with neuroblastoma looks at a new vulnerability called ferroptosis that could be exploited to more effectively treat tumors with the MYCN gene amplification.
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.