Targeting treatment resistance in high‑risk childhood neuroblastoma
Discovering and Exploiting Mechanisms of Neuroblastoma Therapy Resistance
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 ID | NIH-11310011 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: 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.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
Philadelphia, United States
- 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
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.