NIH-funded research R01 grant

Creating new nanomedicines to treat brain tumors in dogs

Official title: Development of novel nanotherapeutics to overcome therapy resistance using canine brain tumor as a spontaneous model

Funded at University of California at Davis · NIH-10993281 · Data updated 2026-11-12

This study is looking at new treatments for tough brain tumors called glioblastomas by using dog brain tumors to learn more about how these cancers work, with the hope that it will help both dogs and people get better care.

More Brain Tumor research and trials

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of California at Davis
NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Davis, United States)
Project startJuly 1, 2024
Project endJune 30, 2028
Funding year2024
Award (this year)$634,743
NIH project number1R01CA294557-01
Project IDNIH-10993281 on NIH RePORTER

Who could benefit from this research

Could help

Ideal candidates for this research are dogs diagnosed with high-grade gliomas, particularly those that have shown resistance to current therapies.

Less likely to help

Patients who do not have high-grade gliomas or those who are not canine species may not benefit from this research.

What this research studies

This research focuses on developing innovative nanotherapeutics aimed at overcoming resistance to existing treatments for high-grade gliomas, particularly glioblastoma, using canine brain tumors as a model. By studying these tumors in dogs, the research aims to better understand the complexities of human brain tumors, which are often not accurately represented in traditional rodent models. The approach involves targeting autophagy, a process that cancer cells exploit to survive treatment, with the use of aminoquinoline drugs that have shown promise in previous trials. This could lead to more effective therapies for both dogs and potentially humans suffering from these aggressive brain tumors.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for brain tumors, improving survival rates and quality of life for patients.

How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in using canine models to study cancer therapies, indicating that this approach has potential for meaningful advancements.

Where this research is happening

  • University of California at Davis
    Davis, United States
    Active

Researchers

  • Principal investigator: Li, Yuanpei — University of California at Davis
  • Study coordinator: Li, Yuanpei

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

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.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 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.