NIH-funded research NIH-funded research

Multi-center pediatric brain and spinal cord tumor treatment network

Official title: Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium A multi-institutional consortium devoted to novel phase I and II clinical evaluations of experimental treatment approaches for pediatric CNS tumors

Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11466965 · Data updated 2026-11-12

Testing early-phase experimental treatments for children and young adults with brain and spinal cord tumors.

More Brain Tumor research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Memphis, United States)
Project startApril 1, 1999
Project endMarch 31, 2027
Funding year2026
Award (this year)$1,423,203
NIH project number3UM1CA081457-25S2
Project IDNIH-11466965 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Children and young adults (typically up to about 21 years old) with brain or spinal cord tumors, particularly those who would be eligible for early-phase experimental treatment trials.

Less likely to help

People without central nervous system tumors, and patients looking to join now because most trials are closed to new enrollment, would not benefit from participating.

What this research studies

This consortium brought together major pediatric cancer centers to run phase I and II trials of new treatments for childhood central nervous system tumors. Teams enrolled children and young adults at participating hospitals to try experimental drugs, vaccines, or biologic therapies while monitoring safety and tumor response. As of late 2025, the trials are closed to new enrollment but some participants are still receiving study treatments while researchers finish data review and archive records. Selected studies are being transferred to a new pediatric trials network so promising work can continue.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could expand treatment options and improve survival or quality of life for children with brain tumors.

How similar studies have gone: Early-phase pediatric brain tumor trials have occasionally produced effective new therapies but many approaches remain experimental and results have been mixed.

Where this research is happening

  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
    Memphis, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Onar-Thomas, Arzu — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
  • Study coordinator: Onar-Thomas, Arzu

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.