Using children's tumor protein and genetic data to find better treatments
Official title: Translating Pediatric Cancer Proteogenomic Data into Biological and Clinical Insights
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11339363 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $640,150 |
| NIH project number | 3U24CA271076-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11339363 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
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.
✕Less likely to help
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.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Bing — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Bing
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Deep profiling of how fusion-driven pediatric cancers spread, using single-cell protein tools
Researchers will develop fast, highly capable single-cell protein measurements to understand how certain pediatric cancers, like Ewing sarcoma, spread and evade the immune system.
-
Radiation therapy and data science to help kids with cancer
Scientists from two top cancer centers are teaming up to make radiation for pediatric cancers more powerful and precise, using data science to guide treatment for children with two tough tumors.
-
Targeting childhood cancer vulnerabilities with CRISPR-based screens
A pediatric cancer research project uses CRISPR screens to find new, druggable weaknesses in childhood leukemias to guide safer, targeted therapies.
-
Genetic links between birth anomalies and childhood cancer in kids and young people
This grant tests how inherited birth defects and genetic factors may increase the risk of cancer in children and teens, using real-world birth and cancer data to understand shared genetics.
-
A living-cell detector for ALT-related biomarkers in pediatric bone cancers
A new, cell-based tool will help scientists see ALT activity in cancer cells from pediatric tumors, potentially guiding future therapies.
-
Screening tool to detect sexual dysfunction in pediatric cancer survivors
A clinician-researcher is testing a screening tool to help identify sexual dysfunction in children who survived cancer, with the aim of improving their 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.