Preventing deadly infections in children with Down syndrome during leukemia treatment
Preventing Fatal Infections in Children with Down Syndrome During Treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
This project looks for blood markers that can identify children with Down syndrome and acute lymphoblastic leukemia who are at high risk for life-threatening infections so doctors can offer extra protection early.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11093995 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will treat mouse models of Down syndrome with pediatric leukemia chemotherapy and expose them to infections to find patterns in blood that predict severe infection. They will then check those candidate blood markers in samples from children with Down syndrome and ALL who did or did not experience severe infectious complications. The team aims to create a blood test or risk profile that flags high-risk patients at the start of therapy. If validated, this approach could guide treatment changes and intensified supportive care to prevent fatal infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children with Down syndrome who are diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and whose care teams can collect blood samples and follow infection outcomes are the ideal participants.
Not a fit: Patients without Down syndrome, those not receiving ALL chemotherapy, or those with different cancers are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, doctors could identify high-risk children early and give targeted preventive care or treatment adjustments to reduce infection-related deaths.
How similar studies have performed: Biomarker-guided risk stratification has helped other leukemia groups, but applying this approach specifically to infection risk in Down syndrome-ALL is a novel effort.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ryeom, Sandra — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Ryeom, Sandra
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 below.