Viral-like DNA elements (HERVs) in H3K27M midline glioma
Deciphering the Role of Aberrant Endogenous Retroviral Expression in Onco-histone Driven Glioma
Researchers are looking at whether viral-like sequences inside our DNA (HERVs) become active in H3K27M-driven midline gliomas and could point to new treatment approaches for children with these tumors.
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 ID | NIH-11239805 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project compares tumor cells and models that carry the H3K27M histone mutation with ones where the mutation is removed to map changes in histone chemical tags like H3K27 acetylation and methylation. The team measures whether those chromatin changes cause normally silent human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) sequences to be transcribed and whether that alters tumor behavior or immune signaling. They use patient tumor samples, engineered cell lines, and animal models to test whether changing HERV activity affects tumor growth or sensitivity to antiviral and immune pathways. Overall the work aims to find whether HERV activation creates vulnerabilities that could be targeted for new therapies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people (often children or young adults) with H3K27M-mutant midline high-grade gliomas or related diffuse midline gliomas.
Not a fit: Patients without the H3K27M mutation or with unrelated types of brain tumors are unlikely to directly benefit from this specific line of research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new drug targets or immune-based strategies for H3K27M midline gliomas.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies established that H3K27M disrupts repressive histone marks and increases H3K27 acetylation, and the idea that this drives HERV activation is novel and so far mainly supported by preclinical data.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mack, Stephen C — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Mack, Stephen C
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.