AI-powered platform to speed up transcription factor drug discovery
Official title: Deployment of an AI platform to accelerate transcription factor drug development
Funded at Talus Bioscience, INC. · NIH-11410349 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new AI-driven platform helps identify small molecules that can modulate transcription factors involved in diseases like cancer and fibrosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Talus Bioscience, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,035,634 |
| NIH project number | 1R44TR005930-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11410349 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with cancers or fibrotic/immunological conditions linked to dysregulated transcription factors and who could participate in future trials of TF-targeted drugs.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not related to TF-driven diseases or who are not candidates for TF-targeted therapies may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports building and refining an AI-based drug discovery platform called Strategian, which uses TF-Scan data to test how compounds affect transcription factor activity in live cells. The project focuses on improving AI representations and applying active learning to discover inhibitors for key transcription factors. It aims to accelerate coming therapies by translating complex TF biology into actionable drug candidates. Researchers will combine proteomics data, machine learning, and medicinal chemistry to predict which compounds could modulate TF-chromatin interactions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster development of drugs targeting transcription factors involved in cancer, fibrosis, and immune-related diseases.
How similar studies have gone: AI-driven drug discovery approaches have shown promise in identifying novel targets and compounds, with ongoing translation to clinical candidates.
Where this research is happening
-
Talus Bioscience, INC.
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fondrie, William Ellis — Talus Bioscience, INC.
- Study coordinator: Fondrie, William Ellis
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Finding new ways to inhibit proteins that control gene expression in diseases like cancer
This study is looking at how specific proteins that control gene activity can lead to diseases like cancer, and it's testing new ways to find drugs that can help block these proteins to create better treatments for patients.
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Investigating drug effects on cancer-causing gene fusion proteins
This study is looking at how specific proteins that can cause cancer respond to different medications, with the hope of finding better treatments for people with certain types of leukemia.
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.