How inherited genes affect childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia worldwide
Official title: Genomics of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the Childhood Cancer and Leukemia International Consortium
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11140437 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at inherited gene differences that relate to the risk of children developing acute lymphoblastic leukemia across many countries.
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 start | August 22, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $372,045 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA266253-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140437 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (and their families for DNA samples) as well as children without leukemia from the same populations for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
People needing immediate treatment decisions now or patients whose leukemia is driven primarily by non-inherited (somatic) changes may not get direct clinical benefit from this genetic-risk research.
What this research studies
As a parent or patient, I would know that researchers are comparing DNA from children with and without ALL from many countries to find inherited genetic differences. They combine data through the Childhood Cancer and Leukemia International Consortium and use genome-wide scans to find common risk variants and to build polygenic risk scores. The team emphasizes diverse populations and places with high disease burden so findings apply more broadly, using existing patient samples and medical records to link genes to who gets ALL. Their goal is to explain ancestry-related patterns in ALL risk and fill gaps where most genetic data have been from limited populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify children who have higher inherited risk for ALL and guide future early-detection or prevention research.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genome-wide studies have found more than 15 inherited variants linked to childhood B-cell ALL and useful polygenic risk signals, but applying these approaches across many global and ancestrally diverse populations is less tested.
Where this research is happening
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University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Spector, Logan G. — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Spector, Logan G.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Genomics of childhood ALL across global populations
A wide-ranging study looks at how inherited genetics influence the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia around the world.
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Genomics of childhood ALL across diverse populations
A large international study will look at why children everywhere get acute lymphoblastic leukemia and how genetics may influence risk.
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Genomics of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia across global populations
This grant studies how inherited genes influence the risk of childhood ALL around the world to understand why some groups are more affected.
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Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia genetics around the world
This project compares inherited genetic differences in children with and without acute lymphoblastic leukemia across many countries to learn who is at higher risk.
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Genetics of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
This project looks at how inherited genes affect the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children from many countries and ancestry groups.
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Understanding the genetics of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
This study is looking at how certain genes might make kids aged 0-14 more likely to get acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and it hopes to find ways to better prevent and treat the disease by understanding how different backgrounds can affect this risk.
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.