Understanding how social stress may worsen neuroblastoma in kids
Official title: Investigating the Molecular Effects of Social Deprivation on Neuroblastoma Tumorigenesis and Progression
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11297000 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant looks at how chronic social stress from poverty and isolation might make neuroblastoma harder to treat in children and explores ways to counteract those effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $558,294 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA299014-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11297000 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with neuroblastoma or those at risk due to socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds may benefit from future trials or therapies arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy children or patients without neuroblastoma are not the target of this study.
What this research studies
Researchers will use pediatric neuroblastoma models to study how social stressors like food insecurity and isolation influence tumor growth and the immune environment. They will map changes in gene activity and cellular programs with single-cell RNA sequencing and ATAC sequencing, plus metabolic profiling. The team will test whether blocking adrenergic and stress hormone pathways, along with metabolic inhibitors, can reverse stress-driven tumor progression. The goal is to connect social factors to biology and identify potential treatments that could reduce disparities in outcomes for children with neuroblastoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new strategies that lessen social stress–related tumor progression and improve survival for children affected by neuroblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has shown stress biology can influence tumor biology in models, but this project seeks to define a direct link in pediatric neuroblastoma and test targeted therapies.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Newman, Erika Adams — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Newman, Erika Adams
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.