Understanding how the bone marrow environment drives AML resistance
Official title: Trajectory and Architecture of Microenvironment-Mediated Resistance in AML
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11624046 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large NIH-funded project at Oregon Health & Science University is studying how the body’s own cell surroundings help acute myeloid leukemia become resistant to treatment, with potential paths to better therapies for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2017 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $37,497 |
| NIH project number | 3U54CA224019-09S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11624046 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with acute myeloid leukemia, particularly those who relapse or show resistance to standard therapies, could indirectly benefit from advances.
✕Less likely to help
If a patient’s leukemia does not rely on microenvironment-driven resistance, direct benefits may be limited in the short term.
What this research studies
This grant supports a broad research effort at OHSU to map how interactions in the bone marrow niche contribute to therapy resistance in AML. The team will use advanced analyses and models to uncover which signals promote leukemia cells to survive treatments. The goal is to identify new targets or strategies that could be translated into more effective, durable therapies for people living with AML. The project involves collaboration across researchers to translate discoveries toward patient-focused outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Insights from this work could lead to new treatment approaches that overcome resistance in AML and improve patient outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that the tumor microenvironment can influence treatment response in AML, supporting the potential for meaningful progress here.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Agarwal, Anupriya — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Agarwal, Anupriya
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how a protein affects nerve cell movement in Alzheimer's disease
This study is looking at how a protein called APP affects the growth and movement of nerve cells, which is important for understanding Alzheimer's disease, and it aims to find out how problems with this protein might lead to nerve cell damage.
-
Improving Safety at Work with a Low-Resource mHealth Program in Malaysia (and beyond)
A low-cost mobile health program to improve safety culture in Malaysian workplaces, with plans to adapt the approach for U.S. workers in high-risk industries.
-
Oregon Healthy Workplace Initiative for Better Health
A multi-site effort aims to improve the health and safety of workers by coordinating research, tools, and interventions across workplaces.
-
Understanding how AML cells become resistant to therapy over time
This project looks at why acute myeloid leukemia stops responding to treatment and how to design better drug combinations to prevent relapse.
-
Mechanisms and Countermeasures for Ultra-Potent Synthetic Opioid Overdose
A small, focused NIH grant aims to understand why ultra-potent synthetic opioids cause severe overdose and to explore potential countermeasures to keep people safe.
-
Oregon Spina Bifida Registry Project - Comp B
This grant supports building and refining a national registry to track care practices and health outcomes for people living with spina bifida to improve care and quality of life.
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.