Using children's tumor protein and genetic data to find better treatments
Translating Pediatric Cancer Proteogenomic Data into Biological and Clinical Insights
This project analyzes tumor DNA, RNA, proteins, and protein modifications to find potential treatment targets for children with brain tumors and leukemias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11339363 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers are combining existing tumor data from large pediatric programs (Kids First and CCDI) to look for new clues about childhood brain tumors and blood cancers. They will use specialized computational pipelines to find tumor-specific antigens for immunotherapy, resolve different protein isoforms, and map protein modifications and signaling pathways. The team works mainly with already-collected tumor samples and multi-omics datasets (genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic) rather than testing new drugs. Findings could point hospitals and researchers toward new therapies or clinical trials for affected children.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children (approximately 0–11 years old) with brain tumors such as medulloblastoma, ependymoma, high-grade glioma, ATRT, or with leukemias like AML and T-ALL, whose tumor samples or data can be shared through Kids First or CCDI.
Not a fit: Patients without available tumor tissue or data, or those with cancer types outside the project's focus, are unlikely to see direct benefits from this grant's analyses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new immune targets and protein changes to guide therapies or future clinical trials for childhood brain tumors and leukemias.
How similar studies have performed: Previous proteogenomic work from CPTAC and related efforts has revealed actionable biology in cancers and the team's prior studies are promising, but applying these detailed methods specifically to pediatric cancers is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Bing — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Bing
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.