Making radiation safer and more powerful for children with diffuse midline glioma and high‑risk neuroblastoma
Official title: Radiation Oncology at the Interface of Pediatric Cancer Biology and Data Science
Funded at Dana-Farber Cancer Inst · NIH-11178322 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to improve radiation treatments for children with diffuse midline glioma and high‑risk neuroblastoma by using tumor biology and data science to guide therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,606,288 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA274516-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178322 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children diagnosed with diffuse midline glioma or high‑risk neuroblastoma who are receiving radiotherapy at a participating center and can provide clinical samples and imaging would be the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with other cancer types, those not undergoing radiotherapy, or those unwilling or unable to provide tumor samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers at Dana‑Farber/Harvard and UCSF are teaming up to study how two radiation approaches—external beam radiation and radiopharmaceuticals—work against two aggressive childhood cancers (diffuse midline glioma and high‑risk neuroblastoma). They will collect tumor samples and clinical data before and after radiation from children treated with a standard radiation plan to see how tumors change. The team will use molecular tests and data‑science/AI tools to find patterns of radiation resistance linked to developmental differences in tumor cells. Findings will be used to design more selective radiation strategies and molecular characterization trials that could guide future treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to radiation approaches that kill more tumor cells while causing fewer long‑term side effects for children with these aggressive cancers.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior work combining genomics and AI with radiation has shown promise in personalizing treatment, but applying these methods to diffuse midline glioma and high‑risk neuroblastoma is relatively new and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haas-Kogan, Daphne a. — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Haas-Kogan, Daphne a.
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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.