Finding early leukemia changes in newborn cord blood
Backtracking Leukemia-Typical Somatic Alterations in Cord Blood at Single-cell Resolution
This project looks for tiny leukemia-related genetic changes in newborns' cord blood to find which babies may have started leukemia before birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11384191 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
We will compare diagnostic leukemia samples with matched cord blood from about 250 children, focusing on roughly 182 cases with known translocation or mutation drivers. Patient-specific somatic mutations will be identified from each child's tumor profile and then searched for in flow-sorted cord blood cells using highly sensitive droplet digital PCR and single-cell approaches. The work aims to determine what fraction and which subtypes of childhood leukemia begin in utero, pinpoint the specific cell types where preleukemic clones arise, and see whether some newborns are more likely to carry these lesions. Most samples come from the Children's Oncology Group Project: Every Child and will be analyzed at the University of Minnesota laboratory.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children enrolled in the Children's Oncology Group 'Project: Every Child' who have stored cord blood and a later leukemia diagnosis, especially those with translocation- or mutation-driven subtypes.
Not a fit: Patients without saved cord blood samples, adults, or those whose leukemia lacks a detectable translocation or mutation driver are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could allow doctors to identify newborns with preleukemic clones so they can be monitored closely or considered for future prevention strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have shown some leukemia-initiating lesions can arise before birth, but applying sensitive patient-specific backtracking to a broad set of driver mutations at single-cell resolution is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Spector, Logan G. — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Spector, Logan G.
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 below.