Overcoming therapy resistance in Hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma in kids
Official title: Overcoming Therapy Resistance in Hedgehog Pathway-Driven Medulloblastoma
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11384882 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pediatric brain cancer study tests new ways to keep Hedgehog pathway drugs working longer in children with a specific type of medulloblastoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $611,591 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS140319-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384882 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pediatric patients with Group 2/SHH medulloblastoma or similar Hedgehog-pathway–driven tumors
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-Hedgehog-driven brain tumors or those unable to tolerate experimental therapies may not benefit
What this research studies
This project focuses on kids with Group 2/SHH medulloblastoma, a cancer of the brain. Researchers aim to understand how cancer cells become resistant to current Hedgehog pathway inhibitors and to develop strategies that prevent or overcome this resistance. The work includes studying how SMO and related kinases drive tumor growth and testing novel inhibitor approaches in relevant models. If successful, these insights could lead to more durable therapies for children facing this disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more effective and longer-lasting treatments for Hedgehog-driven medulloblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that SMO inhibitors can lose effectiveness due to resistance, and new approaches are actively being explored with some encouraging preclinical results
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stewart, Rodney a. — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Stewart, Rodney 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.