Helping high-risk medulloblastoma respond again to targeted therapy
Official title: Mechanisms of resistance to WEE1 inhibition in Myc driven medulloblastoma
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11231704 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores whether blocking two tumor enzymes can make aggressive, MYC-driven medulloblastoma in children respond again to targeted drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2015 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $430,864 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS091219-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11231704 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The findings are most relevant to children with high-risk, MYC-driven medulloblastoma or tumors showing MYC activation on genetic testing.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other types of medulloblastoma that are not MYC-driven, other brain tumors, or unrelated cancers are unlikely to benefit directly from these specific findings.
What this research studies
You should know this work focuses on a high-risk form of childhood brain cancer called MYC-driven medulloblastoma that often stops responding to treatment. Researchers are studying why tumors become resistant to a drug that targets the WEE1 enzyme and suspect another enzyme, CDK7, allows that resistance. They will examine how CDK7 changes tumor gene control and metabolism in lab-grown tumor cells and animal models, and test whether combining WEE1 and CDK7 blockers — sometimes with drugs that target DNA repair — restores tumor sensitivity. The goal is to identify drug combinations that work better in living models and that could guide future clinical options for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to combination therapies that help children with MYC-driven medulloblastoma respond to treatment and potentially improve outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior preclinical work showed WEE1 inhibitors can work in MYC-driven tumors and pair with some chemotherapies, but combining CDK7 and WEE1 to overcome resistance is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vibhakar, Rajeev — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Vibhakar, Rajeev
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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.