In total, Barncancerfonden is investing nearly SEK 145 million in 60 childhood cancer research projects across Sweden this year. The portfolio reflects a continued shift toward precision medicine, immunotherapies, and advanced experimental models that can better reflect the biology of pediatric tumors and support the development of more targeted treatment strategies.
Developing new immunotherapy strategies for pediatric leukemia
One of the Lund Stem Cell Center awardees is Marcus Järås, associate professor at the Department of Clinical Genetics and research group leader in targeted therapies in leukemia. His project focuses on developing a new immunotherapy for children with leukemia.
Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer. Over the past several decades, survival rates have improved significantly, but many children still experience relapse and long-term side effects from intensive treatments.
“The overarching goal of this project is to develop a new immunotherapy for children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) by harnessing and redirecting macrophages to eliminate leukemic cells,” explains Marcus Järås, associate professor at the Department of Clinical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University.
A challenge when it comes to treating leukemia is a small population of cancer cells called leukemia stem cells. These cells are known to evade immune detection and survive even after aggressive therapy, allowing the disease to return.
Marcus and his team at Lund University study how these leukemia stem cells interact with immune cells and which molecular signals allow them to remain hidden. By identifying these mechanisms, the researchers aim to pinpoint new targets that could make immunotherapies more effective while sparing healthy cells.
”Using CRISPR screens, we recently identified surface proteins on pediatric AML cells that block macrophage phagocytosis. We will first test therapeutic targeting of these checkpoints in humanized pediatric AML mouse models. We will then develop and evaluate CAR macrophages (CAR-M) that directly recognize and eliminate pediatric AML cells,” he continues.
A shared focus on advancing knowledge for better treatments
Alongside Marcus, five additional researchers at the Lund Stem Cell Center also received funding from Barncancerfonden to support projects that focus on a range of childhood cancers including brain tumors, blood cancers, and solid tumors:
- Henrik Ahlenius, associate professor at the Department of Experiemental Medical Science, will develop stem cell–based models to study brain tumors in children.
- Johan Bengzon, adjunct professor at the Department of Clinical Sciences, will work to advance CAR-T and CAR-NK immunotherapies to prevent relapse in medulloblastoma
- David Bryder, professor at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, will investigate how childhood leukemia develops.
- Jenny Hansson, associate professor at the Department of Experimental Medical Science, will explore tailored treatments for infant leukemia by targeting interactions between leukemia cells and their environment.
- Sofie Mohlin, associate professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, will study how neuroblastoma develops to develop new approaches to treat it.
While the scientific approaches vary, all six projects share a common goal. They each aim to deepen our understanding of childhood cancer in order to inform the development of treatments that are better matched to each child’s disease and are less toxic to these young patients.
