How the MYCN tumor gene creates a weakness in neuroblastoma cells to ferroptosis
MYCN drives a ferroptotic vulnerability in neuroblastoma
This project looks at whether the MYCN gene makes aggressive childhood neuroblastoma vulnerable to a form of cell death that researchers could target with new drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180459 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers found that tumors with extra copies of the MYCN gene build up iron and rely on special antioxidant pathways to survive. The team will study how MYCN changes cysteine and selenocysteine production and how that creates dependence on the GPX4/glutathione pathway. They will use laboratory models and tumor samples to test whether blocking these antioxidant defenses triggers ferroptotic cancer cell death. The goal is to identify druggable targets that could be developed into treatments for high-risk neuroblastoma in children.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with high-risk neuroblastoma, especially those whose tumors show MYCN amplification, would be the patients most likely to benefit from treatments developed from this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors do not have MYCN amplification or who have other cancer types are less likely to benefit from approaches based on this specific vulnerability.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targeted therapies that kill MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells and improve outcomes for children with high-risk disease.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory studies inducing ferroptosis have shown promise in killing cancer cells, but translating ferroptosis-targeting approaches into safe, effective patient treatments is still largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Faber, Anthony Charles — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Faber, Anthony Charles
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.