Antibody Platform for Protein Isoform Splice-Junctions
Official title: DIRECTED DISCOVERY AND VALIDATION OF ANTI-SPLICE-JUNCTION SITE Abs
Funded at Abbratech, INC. · NIH-11377711 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A fast-track NIH grant aims to create antibodies that specifically recognize unique splice-junctions in proteins, helping to better understand and treat diseases linked to alternative splicing.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Abbratech, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Branford, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 20, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $301,174 |
| NIH project number | 5R44GM156476-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11377711 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients whose cancers or other diseases involve splice-variant proteins that could be targeted by isoform-specific antibodies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with diseases not linked to splice-variant proteins or where antibody targets are not clinically relevant may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project builds a platform to identify and validate recombinant antibodies that target splice-junction sites in protein isoforms. It uses Epivolve, a phage display approach with a special amino acid to generate antibodies directed at these splice variants. Phase I will validate existing splice-site antibodies with techniques like Western blotting and flow cytometry, while Phase II will expand to a combined phage- and yeast-display system and explore neoantigen targets near GPCR terms relevant to cancer. The work focuses on improving molecular tools to study how alternative splicing contributes to cancer progression and other diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more precise molecular diagnostics and targeted therapies informed by isoform-specific antibodies.
How similar studies have gone: Similar antibody discovery approaches have advanced diagnostic and therapeutic tools in oncology, though targeting splice-junctions is a relatively newer area.
Where this research is happening
-
Abbratech, INC.
Branford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiner, Michael P — Abbratech, INC.
- Study coordinator: Weiner, Michael P
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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.