Targeting mechanical signaling in childhood brain tumors
Official title: Targeting mechanosignaling in pediatric brain cancer
Funded at Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware · NIH-11264778 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking for drugs that block how tumor cells sense and respond to their surroundings to help children with medulloblastoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Wilmington, United States) |
| Project start | February 14, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $328,432 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA263216-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11264778 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children diagnosed with medulloblastoma would be the eventual candidates for therapies developed from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who need immediate clinical treatment now, or those with unrelated brain conditions or tumor types not driven by mechanosignaling, are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical study.
What this research studies
This research grows medulloblastoma cells in 3D lab models that better mimic the stiffness and surroundings of real brain tissue so tests are more like what happens in the body. Scientists will use a peptide-based hydrogel scaffold (MAX8) and automated drug screens to find compounds that disrupt mechanosensitive signaling pathways cancer cells use to survive and spread. Promising compounds will be followed up in more advanced laboratory models to see which ones slow tumor growth. The work aims to produce drug candidates that could move toward future testing in children with medulloblastoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could produce safer, more effective therapies that specifically target the way medulloblastoma cells sense their environment, potentially improving outcomes for children.
How similar studies have gone: Lab and preclinical studies targeting mechanosensitive pathways and using 3D cell cultures have shown promising signals, but this approach remains largely preclinical and has not yet produced proven patient treatments.
Where this research is happening
-
Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
Wilmington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Langhans, Sigrid a — Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware
- Study coordinator: Langhans, Sigrid 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.