Creating new medicines for bacterial infections and cancers

Modular synthesis of antibiotic and anticancer classes of natural products

NIH-funded research Scripps Research Institute, the · NIH-11143814

This project focuses on making new versions of natural compounds that can fight tough bacterial infections and various cancers.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionScripps Research Institute, the NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (La Jolla, United States)
Project IDNIH-11143814 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Many natural compounds show promise in fighting diseases but are hard to modify into effective medicines. Our team is developing new ways to build these complex molecules from simple ingredients in the lab. This allows us to make changes to their structure, aiming to create more powerful and effective treatments. We use detailed information about how these molecules interact with disease targets to guide our design, hoping to discover new drug candidates.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: This foundational chemistry work does not directly involve patients, but future clinical trials stemming from this research would seek patients with specific bacterial infections or cancers.

Not a fit: Patients not currently affected by bacterial infections or cancers, or those whose conditions are well-managed by existing treatments, would not directly benefit from this early-stage research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to the discovery of new and more effective antibiotic and anticancer drugs, especially for resistant infections and hard-to-treat cancers.

How similar studies have performed: Previous work by this team on similar compounds has led to structural discoveries and potent compounds active against resistant strains in animal models.

Where this research is happening

La Jolla, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Bacterial InfectionsCancers
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.