Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute a $276,545 Project Grant under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398) on June 8, 2026, with a completion date of May 31, 2031. This award supports the development and validation of genomic risk prediction models for T-cell malignancies, specifically T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) in pediatric patients. The research deliverables include identifying recurrent, prognostic genomic features associated with relapse and death stratified by genetic ancestry and developing integrated risk prediction models that incorporate clinical features, early disease response, ancestry informative markers, and multi-omics data (whole genome sequencing and RNA sequencing).

The project addresses a critical clinical gap by creating the first ancestry-informed risk classification system for T-ALL and T-LBL, a novel approach that incorporates germline genetic ancestry markers into risk prediction modeling to improve patient stratification and treatment allocation decisions. By identifying high-risk and low-risk patient populations, this research will enable clinicians to intensify therapy for high-risk patients while reducing treatment-related toxicity for low-risk patients, ultimately improving survival outcomes and reducing relapse rates in pediatric T-cell malignancy patients.