Targeting treatment resistance in high‑risk childhood neuroblastoma
Official title: Discovering and Exploiting Mechanisms of Neuroblastoma Therapy Resistance
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11310011 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program aims to find why high‑risk neuroblastoma stops responding to treatments and use those discoveries to develop better, more targeted therapies for children with aggressive disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2017 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,450,350 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA217959-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310011 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and young adults with high‑risk or relapsed neuroblastoma, or patients who can provide tumor samples for research, would be the most relevant candidates for clinical follow‑up from this program.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with low‑risk neuroblastoma, unrelated cancers, or those unable to travel to participating centers or provide tumor samples are unlikely to be directly helped by these specific projects.
What this research studies
We will study how high‑risk neuroblastoma tumors and their surrounding cells change to evade chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and immunotherapy. Four linked projects will examine tumor epigenetics, the tumor microenvironment, and immune interactions using lab models, patient tumor samples, and collaborative data analyses. The team will search for weaknesses that can be targeted with new drugs or combinations and move promising leads into clinical testing. This multi‑institution program combines basic science, translational work, and clinical trials to speed advances toward patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce new targeted treatments or drug combinations that improve survival and reduce harmful side effects for children with high‑risk neuroblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior translational and clinical efforts targeting neuroblastoma biology and the tumor microenvironment have helped subsets of patients, but many resistance mechanisms remain novel and unproven in trials.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maris, John M — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Maris, John M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Computational and functional screens to find actionable neuroblastoma drivers
Researchers are using advanced computer analysis and lab tests to find new genes and drug targets in neuroblastoma, aiming to improve outcomes for children.
-
Understanding ATRX in neuroblastoma: new protein functions and treatment clues
A short, patient-friendly look at a study exploring how altered ATRX proteins in neuroblastoma might influence disease behavior and response to therapy.
-
Neuroblastoma and radiopharmaceuticals: understanding how targeted radiation affects kids’ tumors
A pediatric cancer grant studies how a targeted radiotherapy called 131I-MIBG affects tumor and surrounding cells in children with high-risk neuroblastoma.
-
Bispecific antibodies to help kids fight neuroblastoma and brain tumors
A pediatric-focused grant tests new bispecific antibodies that help the immune system attack childhood cancers like neuroblastoma and brain tumors.
-
ADEPT-STAR therapy for high risk neuroblastoma
A new cell-based therapy approach aims to help children with high-risk neuroblastoma by using off-the-shelf, donor-derived treatments.
-
MYCN and ferroptosis: a new vulnerability in pediatric neuroblastoma
A study in children with neuroblastoma looks at a new vulnerability called ferroptosis that could be exploited to more effectively treat tumors with the MYCN gene amplification.
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.