How MED12L-linked DNA switches affect infant megakaryoblastic leukemia
Official title: Role of MED12L- Associated Chromatin Enhancers in Pediatric Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia
Funded at Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst · NIH-11171808 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work tests whether MED12L-related changes in DNA regulation drive aggressive megakaryoblastic leukemia in infants and young children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Little Rock, United States) |
| Project start | July 11, 2017 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $302,374 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM121293-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11171808 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be infants and young children (especially under age 3) diagnosed with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia who have the ETO2-GLIS2 fusion or families willing to provide tumor samples for research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without the ETO2-GLIS2 fusion or those with unrelated leukemia subtypes or adult patients are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific work.
What this research studies
From a parent's point of view, researchers are studying leukemia cells from infants and toddlers with a specific ETO2-GLIS2 gene fusion to see how MED12L-associated enhancer regions change the way genes are turned on. They will map active enhancer regions (including super-enhancers), examine chromatin architecture, and use genomic and molecular lab experiments in patient samples and model systems to trace how the fusion reshapes DNA control. The team aims to pinpoint the molecular switches that make this leukemia treatment-resistant and likely to relapse, with the long-term goal of guiding targeted therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets or biomarkers that lead to better, more precise treatments for infants with ETO2-GLIS2 acute megakaryoblastic leukemia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown the ETO2-GLIS2 fusion and its connection to enhancer activity, but therapies that directly target these enhancer-driven mechanisms are still novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
Little Rock, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roy Choudhury, Samrat — Arkansas Children's Hospital Res Inst
- Study coordinator: Roy Choudhury, Samrat
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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.