Inherited genetic risks shaping myeloid cancer initiation
Official title: Selective pressures from inherited variation impacting myeloproliferative neoplasm initiation
Funded at Boston Children's Hospital · NIH-11364935 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at Boston Children’s Hospital is exploring how inherited genetic differences may push blood stem cells toward the start of myeloproliferative neoplasms, with potential implications for earlier detection and prevention.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $507,999 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA265726-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11364935 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals with inherited risk variants for myeloproliferative neoplasms or related blood disorders, and patients contributing hematopoietic cells for research.
✕Less likely to help
People without the specific inherited risks studied or without access to specialized research participation may not benefit.
What this research studies
This study investigates how inherited genetic variants influence the way blood-forming stem cells behave and how they might cooperate with somatic mutations to begin myeloproliferative neoplasms. It uses mouse models to examine a Gfi1b enhancer variant’s effect on normal blood formation and its possible role in initiating disease. In parallel, it analyzes how loss of CHEK2 function in human hematopoietic cells could promote clonal expansion and cancer development by combining genome editing with whole-genome sequencing. The goal is to uncover mechanisms linking inherited risk to cancer initiation, which could eventually inform risk assessment and prevention strategies for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of inherited factors could lead to earlier risk identification and new approaches to prevent or delay disease onset.
How similar studies have gone: Prior large GWAS linked inherited variants to disease risk, and this work builds on mechanistic studies using mouse models and human cells; the approach is innovative but grounded in established concepts.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston Children's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sankaran, Vijay Ganesh — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Sankaran, Vijay Ganesh
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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.