New methods to find better treatments for aggressive Wilms tumors in young children
Official title: A New Strategy for Screening Effective Therapies for Metastatic Wilms Tumors
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11078671 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working to find better treatments for young children with Wilms tumors, especially those with a more serious type, by using special lab-grown cells to see how these tumors behave and test current medicines to help improve their care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $179,872 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA288336-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11078671 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children diagnosed with Wilms tumors, particularly those with blastema dominant histology.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with Wilms tumors that do not exhibit blastema dominant histology may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on improving therapies for Wilms tumors, a common pediatric cancer affecting children under 5 years old, particularly those with a poor prognosis due to blastema dominant histology. The team has developed a new model using induced pluripotent stem cells derived from Wilms tumor cells, which can mimic the aggressive nature of these tumors. By transplanting these cells into mice, researchers can study the tumors' behavior and test existing FDA-approved drugs to identify more effective treatments. This approach aims to address the significant unmet clinical need for better therapies for high-risk Wilms tumor patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for children with aggressive Wilms tumors, potentially improving survival rates and reducing recurrence.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using induced pluripotent stem cells for studying various cancers, indicating potential success for this novel approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Wei — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Xu, Wei
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.