Pediatric ALL drug testing in mice to guide clinical trials
Official title: NCI Pediatric In Vivo Testing Program - Leukemia
Funded at University of New South Wales · NIH-11535766 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A program tests how new leukemia drugs work in children’s leukemia using mouse models to help pick the most promising treatments for early clinical trials.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of New South Wales NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Sydney, Australia) |
| Project start | August 1, 2015 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $191,264 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA199000-10S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11535766 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and young adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including relapsed or drug-resistant forms, whose leukemia samples are used to create mouse models.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose leukemia does not respond to the tested drugs or who cannot enroll due to model limitations may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a large panel of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patient-derived xenografts in immune-deficient mice to test new drugs. The goal is to prioritize agents with the strongest activity for future pediatric clinical trials, using state-of-the-art preclinical models. Researchers monitor leukemia burden in mice weekly by measuring human leukemia cells in the blood, aligned with the cancers seen in children. The work builds on established patient samples and aims to accelerate bringing effective therapies to kids with aggressive or drug-resistant ALL.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could speed the development of effective, safer drugs for children with ALL.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pediatric ALL preclinical studies using patient-derived models have informed clinical trial choices, but each panel of drugs and models adds new insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lock, Richard B — University of New South Wales
- Study coordinator: Lock, Richard B
Related research
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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.