Immune-based treatments for aggressive Group 3 medulloblastoma
Official title: Enabling immunotherapy for high-risk Group 3 medulloblastoma via systems immunology
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11162311 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Working to unlock the immune system to create new treatments for children with high-risk Group 3 medulloblastoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | September 7, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $819,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA281868-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11162311 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with high-risk Group 3 medulloblastoma, especially tumors with MYC overexpression or those with recurrent or treatment-refractory disease, would be the primary candidates for eventual therapies from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Children with other medulloblastoma subgroups or unrelated cancers are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
This project maps the immune cells and their neighborhoods inside aggressive Group 3 medulloblastoma to learn how the tumor hides from the immune system. Researchers will use single-cell and spatial multi-omics to profile individual cells and tumor environments and perform CRISPR-based screens in immunocompetent mouse models that mimic the human tumor. The team aims to find immune-suppressing interactions and specific targets that could be turned into immune therapies for children. The overall goal is to generate treatment leads that can move toward clinical testing for high-risk pediatric patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to new immune-based therapies that improve survival and reduce harmful long-term effects for children with high-risk Group 3 medulloblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Single-cell and spatial immune profiling have revealed actionable targets in other cancers, but applying an integrated systems immunology and CRISPR screening approach to Group 3 medulloblastoma is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chi, Hongbo — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Chi, Hongbo
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Immunotherapy for high-risk pediatric brain cancer using systems immunology
A program to understand why a dangerous form of childhood brain cancer resists immunotherapy and to develop new immune-based treatments for kids with Group 3 medulloblastoma.
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Nanoparticle immune treatment for SHH‑subtype medulloblastoma
This project tests a tiny‑particle version of an immune drug designed to help children with SHH‑subtype medulloblastoma live longer with fewer lifelong side effects.
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Understanding how to improve immunotherapy for aggressive brain tumors in children
This study is looking at a tough type of brain tumor in kids called high-risk Group 3 medulloblastoma, and it's trying to find out how these tumors hide from the immune system so that new treatments can be created to help the immune system fight them better.
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Using exosomes to improve immunotherapy for brain tumors in children
This study is testing a new treatment for children with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer, by using tiny particles from immune cells to help the body’s immune system fight the tumor more effectively while aiming to reduce side effects from standard treatments.
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Boosting immune response to fight cancer
This study is exploring a new way to help your immune system better fight cancer by tweaking certain cells in your body, and it aims to improve treatment for people with advanced cancer.
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.