How methyl‑adding enzymes like SMYD3 help aggressive childhood medulloblastoma
Official title: Role of Methyltransferases in MYC-driven Medulloblastoma
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11178022 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether blocking a methyltransferase called SMYD3 can slow aggressive, MYC-driven medulloblastoma in children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2003 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $450,559 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA096832-20 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178022 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children (most often ages 3–7) with Group 3 medulloblastoma that show MYC overexpression would be the most relevant candidates for related trials or sample donations.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with medulloblastoma subtypes that are not driven by MYC, or with other brain tumor types, are unlikely to benefit from SMYD3‑targeted approaches.
What this research studies
Researchers will focus on Group 3 medulloblastoma tumors that have high MYC levels and look for non-mutated epigenetic drivers like SMYD3. They will use lab-grown human tumor cells, mouse models, and analyses of human tumor samples to see how SMYD3 affects tumor growth and MYC expression. Mass spectrometry and chromatin assays (like ATAC‑seq and methylation profiling) will be used to find proteins and DNA regions that SMYD3 interacts with. If blocking SMYD3 reduces tumor growth in preclinical models, it could guide new targeted therapies for these high‑risk tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify a new drug target that leads to more effective, less toxic treatments for children with MYC‑driven medulloblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Other epigenetic‑targeting strategies have shown promise in lab models, but targeting SMYD3 in MYC‑driven medulloblastoma is a relatively new, largely preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roussel (Sherr), Martine F. — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Roussel (Sherr), Martine F.
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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.