Function and Dependency of NFkB Activity in ZFTA-RELA Fusion Ependymoma
Institution:
Baylor College of Medicine
Researcher(s):
Austin Stuckert, MD
Grant Type:
Young Investigator Grants
Type of Childhood Cancer:
Ependymoma
Project Description:
Brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer related death in children. Ependymoma is an aggressive pediatric brain tumor resistant to chemotherapy, with treatment limited to surgical resection and radiation. Compared to other pediatric cancers, there are drastically fewer targeted agents currently under evaluation in ependymoma clinical trials and no current up-front targeted therapies. One sub-type of ependymoma is driven by the fusion of two genes, one of which is involved in regulation of a molecular pathway (NFkB) common to many cancers. My research aims to better understand the role of the NFkB pathway in driving this sub-type of ependymoma and the key protein interactions required for tumor formation in order to identify new potential drug targets that could be rapidly brought to clinical trials and ultimately improve outcomes in children with ependymoma.