Childhood Cancer Research

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Leveraging oncogenic mutant-ATRX driven collateral vulnerabilities to identify novel therapeutic approaches

Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor found outside the brain in children and accounts for nearly 10% of all childhood cancer diagnoses, while causing almost 15% of deaths from childhood cancers. Despite the use of very aggressive and toxic combination treatments, children with high-risk neuroblastoma still have poor survival rates, and there are currently no cures for children whose disease comes back after treatment. High-risk neuroblastoma includes several genetic subtypes. Among these, the most deadly forms are those with changes in a gene called ATRX, which normally helps control how DNA is organized in cells. ATRX mutant neuroblastomas are especially aggressive compared with other high-risk types. This is partly because current standard immunotherapy treatments are less effective against them, and these tumors are also resistant to standard chemotherapy drugs. Identifying new immunotherapeutic targets that these tumors can not escape immune-based treatments and how they develop resistance to chemotherapy—leading to relapse and death—are poorly studied. Answering these two critical questions is the main focus of the proposed research.

Project Goals

In this work, I will study the fundamental mechanisms by which mutant ATRX drives new therapeutic vulnerabilities and promotes resistance to chemotherapy. These studies directly address one of the most serious clinical problems facing children with ATRX mutant neuroblastoma. The proposed research will identify and confirm new targets for immune-based therapies, while also examining how treatment resistance develops and identifying possible molecular targets that could be used to prevent this resistance. Together, these studies will open new opportunities for developing immune-based treatments and provide a deeper understanding of chemotherapy resistance, supporting the development of new biology-driven drugs that could improve the effectiveness of current therapies.

Cancer Research Categories
Date Funded
2026

Project Team

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital