Investigating how certain genes affect treatment resistance in childhood cancer
Official title: Chromatin regulators of stemness and therapy resistance in rhabdomyosarcoma
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11231976 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer that affects kids and can be tough to treat, to find out why some tumors don't respond well to standard treatments, with the hope of discovering better ways to help kids fight this cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $224,100 |
| NIH project number | 4R00CA278696-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11231976 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma who are undergoing or have undergone standard treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other types of cancers or those who do not have rhabdomyosarcoma may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on rhabdomyosarcoma, a common type of soft-tissue cancer in children, which often resists standard treatments like chemotherapy and surgery. Researchers are using advanced techniques, including single-cell transcriptomics and animal models, to identify the molecular mechanisms that lead to treatment resistance and tumor recurrence. By profiling patient-derived samples, they aim to uncover different cell types within tumors that may contribute to poor outcomes. This understanding could lead to more effective therapies tailored to combat these resistant cancer cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatment strategies that reduce the risk of tumor recurrence and increase survival rates for children with rhabdomyosarcoma.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in understanding cancer treatment resistance through similar molecular profiling techniques, indicating potential for success in this area.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wei, Yun — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wei, Yun
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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This study is looking at a specific protein that helps a tough childhood cancer called alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, with the goal of finding new ways to treat kids who have this illness.
-
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A project to understand why a pediatric muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma spreads, and to test ideas that could slow or stop it by helping cancer cells mature properly.
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A research project aims to create mouse models that mimic high-risk pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma and test therapies that target the NOTCH1 pathway to slow or stop tumor growth.
-
Understanding infantile rhabdomyosarcoma biology and new treatment targets
A new grant is studying why infantile rhabdomyosarcoma develops and what drugs or strategies could specifically target it in young children.
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Targeting CLK2 to Fight Rhabdomyosarcoma
Aims to see if blocking CLK2 can weaken rhabdomyosarcoma cancer cells, potentially offering a new treatment for kids and young adults.
-
Epitranscriptomic Crosstalk in Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma
A pediatric cancer study that looks at how chemical marks on messenger RNA may influence the behavior of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma and point toward newer treatment strategies.
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.