Investigating how certain proteins affect the spread of pediatric cancer cells
Official title: Deep phenotyping of fusion oncoprotein-driven pediatric cancer metastasis with single-cell proteomics
Funded at Rice University · NIH-10687394 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain proteins in Ewing sarcoma, a type of cancer that affects kids, change how the cancer cells act and spread, with the hope of finding new ways to help the immune system fight the cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rice University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 11, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $1,389,742 |
| NIH project number | 1DP2CA290802-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10687394 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are pediatric patients diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma or other fusion oncoprotein-driven cancers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-fusion oncoprotein-driven cancers or those who are not pediatric may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding how fusion oncoproteins influence the behavior of metastatic pediatric cancer cells, particularly Ewing sarcoma. By using advanced single-cell proteomics techniques, the study aims to analyze the cytoskeletal structures and protein expressions in these cancer cells. The researchers will develop innovative methods to visualize and quantify these cellular characteristics, which may reveal how these cancer cells evade the immune system. This could lead to new insights into the mechanisms of cancer metastasis and potential therapeutic targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments for pediatric cancers that are currently difficult to manage, particularly those that metastasize.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of using single-cell proteomics is gaining traction, this specific application to pediatric cancer metastasis is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Rice University
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vlassakis, Julea — Rice University
- Study coordinator: Vlassakis, Julea
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Deep profiling of how fusion-driven pediatric cancers spread, using single-cell protein tools
Researchers will develop fast, highly capable single-cell protein measurements to understand how certain pediatric cancers, like Ewing sarcoma, spread and evade the immune system.
-
Lymph node metastasis and immune tolerance in head and neck cancer
A study in people with head and neck cancer looks at how cancer spread to lymph nodes may shape the immune system and help tumors grow.
-
Targeting how RMS cells fail to mature to slow or stop pediatric muscle cancer spread
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.
-
Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
-
Angiopoietin-2 and Tie2 signals shaping liver metastasis in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
A study explores how Angiopoietin-2 and the Tie2 receptor influence the spread of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors to the liver and how this affects responses to immunotherapy.
-
Nanoparticles that boost MRI to find tiny brain metastases
This uses tiny magnetic nanoparticles and new MRI image processing to help doctors find very small brain metastases earlier in people with 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.