Designing simpler natural-product medicines to uncover how they work
Official title: Pharmacophore - Directed Retrosynthesis Applied to Bioactive Natural Products Informing Mechanism of Action Studies
Funded at Baylor University · NIH-11252530 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are creating simplified versions of complex natural compounds to find new medicines that might help people with cancer, immune disorders, stroke-related injury, or bacterial infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Waco, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2020 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,100 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM134910-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11252530 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancer, certain immune disorders, ischemic stroke, or serious bacterial infections could be potential future trial candidates or sample donors for related follow-up studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment benefit should not expect direct help now because this is primarily laboratory and preclinical chemistry and biology work.
What this research studies
This project focuses on making simpler, easier-to-produce versions of complex natural substances that have shown activity against cancer, immune problems, ischemic (stroke) damage, or bacteria. Scientists will design molecules around proposed 'pharmacophores' and carry out stepwise chemical synthesis while testing biological activity at multiple stages. By collecting structure–activity information during synthesis, they hope to spot promising compounds early and refine designs more quickly. Promising candidates will be tested in laboratory assays and likely in animal models to learn how they work and whether they could become drug leads.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could produce simpler, more accessible drug candidates or research tools that target cancer, immune diseases, stroke damage, or bacterial infections.
How similar studies have gone: Related efforts to simplify natural products have sometimes produced useful drug leads and research tools, and this pharmacophore-directed approach builds on those concepts while being a newer, more systematic strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor University
Waco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Romo, Daniel — Baylor University
- Study coordinator: Romo, Daniel
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.