Immunotherapy nanoparticles to help children with neuroblastoma
Official title: Toward Translation of an Immunotherapeutic Nanomedicine for Neuroblastoma
Funded at Vanderbilt University · NIH-11365122 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funding-supported project aims to move a new immune-boosting nanoparticle therapy closer to use for kids with high-risk neuroblastoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $500,951 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA274675-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365122 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with advanced, high-risk neuroblastoma or those who have not responded to standard therapies may be eligible for future clinical evaluation.
✕Less likely to help
Children without this specific disease context or those not suitable for immunotherapy strategies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing STING-activating nanoparticles to make immunotherapy work better against neuroblastoma in children. The team will optimize how these nanoparticles are made, study how they behave in the body, and design treatment regimens that could produce lasting responses. The work uses mouse models and aims to translate findings into a clinical approach that could be tested in patients. If successful, this could lead to a new, targeted option for kids whose disease is difficult to treat.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Potentially more effective, less toxic immunotherapy options for children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous immunotherapy approaches have faced challenges in neuroblastoma, but translating nanoparticle-based immunotherapies is an active, promising area with some encouraging preclinical results.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wilson, John Tanner — Vanderbilt University
- Study coordinator: Wilson, John Tanner
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Computational and functional screens to find actionable neuroblastoma drivers
Researchers are using advanced computer analysis and lab tests to find new genes and drug targets in neuroblastoma, aiming to improve outcomes for children.
-
Understanding ATRX in neuroblastoma: new protein functions and treatment clues
A short, patient-friendly look at a study exploring how altered ATRX proteins in neuroblastoma might influence disease behavior and response to therapy.
-
Neuroblastoma and radiopharmaceuticals: understanding how targeted radiation affects kids’ tumors
A pediatric cancer grant studies how a targeted radiotherapy called 131I-MIBG affects tumor and surrounding cells in children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
-
Bispecific antibodies to help kids fight neuroblastoma and brain tumors
A pediatric-focused grant tests new bispecific antibodies that help the immune system attack childhood cancers like neuroblastoma and brain tumors.
-
ADEPT-STAR therapy for high risk neuroblastoma
A new cell-based therapy approach aims to help children with high-risk neuroblastoma by using off-the-shelf, donor-derived treatments.
-
MYCN and ferroptosis: a new vulnerability in pediatric neuroblastoma
A study in children with neuroblastoma looks at a new vulnerability called ferroptosis that could be exploited to more effectively treat tumors with the MYCN gene amplification.
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.