A new treatment to stop cancer growth and spread
Official title: An engineered prodrug for inhibition of cancer growth and metastasis
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11047171 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new treatment for patients with advanced cancers like ovarian, lung, and colon cancer, using a special drug that targets cancer cells directly to help improve how well the treatment works and increase the chances of lasting recovery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | January 3, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $435,773 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA290796-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11047171 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with metastatic or recurrent solid tumors, particularly those with ovarian, lung, or colon cancers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage cancers or those not diagnosed with solid tumors may not receive benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing a novel treatment for metastatic and recurrent solid tumors, such as ovarian, lung, and colon cancers. It aims to create an engineered prodrug that utilizes anthrax toxin proteins to selectively target and deliver potent cytotoxins to cancer cells. By exploiting specific enzymes found on the surface of malignant tumors, this approach seeks to overcome the challenges posed by chemotherapy resistance and improve long-term remission rates. Patients may benefit from a more effective therapeutic strategy tailored to the unique biology of their tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a more effective treatment option for patients with advanced cancers that are currently difficult to manage.
How similar studies have gone: While this approach is innovative, similar strategies targeting tumor-specific mechanisms have shown promise in other research, indicating potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Antalis, Toni M — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Antalis, Toni M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Lymph node metastasis and immune tolerance in head and neck cancer
A study in people with head and neck cancer looks at how cancer spread to lymph nodes may shape the immune system and help tumors grow.
-
Targeting how RMS cells fail to mature to slow or stop pediatric muscle cancer spread
A project to understand why a pediatric muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma spreads, and to test ideas that could slow or stop it by helping cancer cells mature properly.
-
Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
-
Angiopoietin-2 and Tie2 signals shaping liver metastasis in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors
A study explores how Angiopoietin-2 and the Tie2 receptor influence the spread of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors to the liver and how this affects responses to immunotherapy.
-
Nanoparticles that boost MRI to find tiny brain metastases
This uses tiny magnetic nanoparticles and new MRI image processing to help doctors find very small brain metastases earlier in people with cancer.
-
Tumor-Niche Co-evolution in Ovarian Cancer Metastasis and Resistance
This research explores how ovarian cancer cells interact with their surrounding tissue to understand how metastasis and resistance to therapy develop, with potential to guide better treatments.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.