Enhanced radiotherapy for pediatric glioma using targeted DNA damage pathways
Official title: Enhanced radiotherapy for pediatric glioma via synthetic lethal vulnerabilities
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11353888 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach aims to make radiotherapy work better for children with a deadly brain tumor by using drugs that tweak how cancer cells handle DNA damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,539,029 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA284565-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11353888 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children with diffuse midline glioma who are eligible for radiotherapy and may participate in future combination therapy trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not rely on the identified replication stress/DNA damage response vulnerabilities or who cannot tolerate the experimental drug combinations may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds on recent lab findings to pair radiation therapy with drugs that disrupt the cancer cells' DNA repair systems, making the cancer more vulnerable. It focuses on diffuse midline gliomas in children, a type that is hard to treat and often resistant to standard care. The team will test combinations that increase replication stress or block DNA repair to enhance radiation effectiveness. They plan to translate promising lab results toward clinical trials with brain-penetrant, clinically available inhibitors. The effort involves collaboration with industry partners to ensure the therapies can reach the brain and be tested safely in patients if successful.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the strategy could improve survival and extend brain tumor control for children with DMG when added to standard radiotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genome-wide screens have identified potential vulnerabilities, with ongoing preclinical work suggesting the approach could work in this disease.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chowdhury, Dipanjan — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Chowdhury, Dipanjan
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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.