Thyroid hormone (T3) as a treatment for childhood medulloblastoma
Official title: Assessment of Efficacy and Toxicity of T3 for Medulloblastoma Treatment
Funded at Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr · NIH-11266238 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work will see whether the thyroid hormone T3 can slow medulloblastoma growth and be used safely for children with this brain tumor.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $264,231 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA296696-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11266238 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal future trial candidates would be children diagnosed with medulloblastoma, particularly those with recurrent disease or who face high risks from standard therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without medulloblastoma, or those with contraindicating thyroid conditions or unable to take thyroid hormone, may not receive benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
Researchers will test T3 in mice that carry medulloblastoma to check safety, how the drug is processed in the body, and whether it causes tumor cells to mature and stop growing. They will measure tumor size, body weight, blood drug levels, and signs of toxicity, and will also test T3 combined with chemotherapy or radiation to look for added benefit. The team aims to generate the preclinical data needed to design human clinical trials so that children with medulloblastoma could be considered for T3-based treatment if results are favorable.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could repurpose an already-approved thyroid drug to slow tumor growth and potentially reduce the need for harsher treatments and their long-term side effects in children.
How similar studies have gone: Early animal studies by this group showed T3 induced tumor cell differentiation and slowed medulloblastoma growth in mice, but T3 has not yet been tested in patients for this use.
Where this research is happening
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Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Zeng-Jie — Research Inst of Fox Chase Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Yang, Zeng-Jie
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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.