Developing new drugs to target specific cancer mutations involving serine.
Official title: Expanding the targetable landscape in cancer with serine-targeting covalent ligands
Funded at University of California Berkeley · NIH-11038008 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on new treatments for cancer by creating special drugs that can target specific changes in cancer proteins, which could help patients with certain cancer mutations and those who have not responded to other treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | February 16, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $187,584 |
| NIH project number | 5R21CA280163-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11038008 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with cancers that have mutations involving serine, such as those with EGFR or BTK mutations.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without serine mutations or those with cancers that do not involve the targeted pathways may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on creating targeted covalent inhibitors that can specifically engage serine residues in cancer-related proteins. By developing new chemical methods, the project aims to address the challenge of targeting serine mutations that contribute to cancer progression and drug resistance. The approach involves designing compounds that can selectively bind to these serine residues, potentially leading to new therapies for patients with specific cancer mutations. The research will also explore the possibility of targeting previously 'undruggable' cancer proteins.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new targeted therapies for patients with cancers driven by specific serine mutations.
How similar studies have gone: While targeted covalent inhibitors have shown success in targeting cysteine mutations, this approach to targeting serine mutations is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Ziyang — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Ziyang
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.