# Identifying therapeutic pathways targeting medulloblastoma-immune cell interactions

> **NIH NIH U01** · MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2021 · $593,964

## Abstract

SUMMARY
We propose developing a systems-biology approach to understand interactions between tumor and immune
cells and their clinical implications. Our work will focus on medulloblastoma, a malignant pediatric brain tumor
in which our team has extensive expertise. We and others have shown that medulloblastoma tumors are sites
of immune activity despite the blood-brain barrier. However, the clinical consequences of these immune cells
are unclear and there is little information that might guide development of therapeutics that modulate these
immune cells.
Our innovative strategy combines single-cell methods, including single-cell proteomics, with a sophisticated
computational analysis. In Aim 1, we map the landscape of tumor-immune interactions using sequencing and
imaging methods on human samples. Aim 2 builds a causal model of the molecular interactions that govern
interactions among cell types in medulloblastoma, determines the clinical correlates of these cells, and
identifies potential therapeutic targets. Aim 3 maps the tumor-immune environment in well-validated mouse
models of the disease, and builds computational models for mice parallel to those for humans. Hypotheses
from Aim 2 that are likely to translate well to the mouse models are then tested for their effects on tumor
growth and survival. The mouse results are used to update the computational models and refine the
therapeutic strategies. We expect that successful completion of this project will have a substantial impact on
medulloblastoma therapeutics. Further, the methods we develop will catalyze research of interactions between
immune cells and many other tumor types beyond medulloblastoma.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10219682
- **Project number:** 1U01CA253547-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ernest Fraenkel
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $593,964
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-05-01 → 2026-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10219682

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10219682, Identifying therapeutic pathways targeting medulloblastoma-immune cell interactions (1U01CA253547-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10219682. Licensed CC0.

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