Federal Project Grant Award Summary

ST Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc. received a $143,814 Project Grant award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) under the Cancer Research Manpower program (CFDA 93.398), effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2028. This grant supports biomedical research training and workforce development focused on cancer research aligned with the National Cancer Program. The award funds research investigating mechanisms of chemoresistance in high-risk neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer with survival rates below 60% for which no curative options exist for relapsed disease.

The project deliverables include basic and translational research on reprogramming drug-resistant mesenchymal cell states in neuroblastoma to enhance chemotherapy sensitivity. Specifically, the funded research will characterize the role of the transcription factor FOSL1 in maintaining chemoresistant cell states, examine the impact of targeting FOSL1 on reprogramming mesenchymal cells into chemosensitive states, and evaluate therapeutic interventions using both in vitro and patient-derived xenograft in vivo models. These research activities contribute to developing more effective treatment strategies for pediatric cancer patients and advance the scientific workforce's understanding of epigenetic mechanisms driving drug resistance in cancer.