Tracking treatment-resistant changes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Official title: Tracking Therapy-Resistant Alterations in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11167570 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at genetic changes linked to treatment resistance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia to see if they can predict who will relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $416,011 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA273326-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167570 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children (about 0–11 years old) newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who can provide diagnostic blood or bone marrow samples and clinical follow-up information.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, children with other types of cancer, or patients whose leukemia does not show detectable genetic resistance markers are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If your child is newly diagnosed with ALL, researchers will analyze leukemia cells from blood or bone marrow taken at diagnosis using advanced genomic tests, including sequencing beyond the usual protein-coding regions. They will search for known and newly discovered genetic alterations that can make leukemia resistant to chemotherapy. The team will combine these genetic findings with clinical information to build new molecular risk models that aim to predict relapse risk earlier. The overall aim is to help guide more personalized treatment choices that could reduce relapse and long-term toxic side effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help identify children at higher risk of relapse early so doctors can tailor treatments to prevent relapse and reduce long-term toxic side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Previous genomic studies have found some resistance mutations in relapsed ALL and improved biological understanding, but more than half of relapses lack known drivers and using these markers prospectively at diagnosis remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ma, Xiaotu — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Ma, Xiaotu
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Caregiver-led mobile tool to support healthy habits for kids treated for ALL
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-
Genomics of childhood ALL across global populations
A wide-ranging study looks at how inherited genetics influence the risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia around the world.
-
Genomics of childhood ALL across diverse populations
A large international study will look at why children everywhere get acute lymphoblastic leukemia and how genetics may influence risk.
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Combinatorial targeting for high-risk B-cell ALL treatment
A research effort at West Virginia University is exploring a combination therapy for adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia using targeted gene silencing and a small-molecule compound to improve treatment in patients.
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Understanding why Latino children have a higher risk of childhood ALL
This project looks at why Latino children are more likely to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia and whether genetic ancestry plays a role, with the goal of improving prevention and outcomes.
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Targeting obesity to improve survival for children with ALL
A new approach explores whether reducing obesity-related factors can make chemotherapy work better for kids with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
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.