Dual-target drug that seeks neuroblastoma cells via αvβ3 integrin and the norepinephrine transporter
Official title: NP855 for Targeting Thyrointegrin αvβ3 receptors and Norepinephrine Transporter in Neuroblastoma Management
Funded at Nanopharmaceuticals, LLC · NIH-11195078 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new medicine designed to find and kill high-risk neuroblastoma cells in young children by blocking a tumor surface protein (αvβ3) and entering cells through the norepinephrine transporter.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nanopharmaceuticals, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rensselaer, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $869,433 |
| NIH project number | 5R44CA287485-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195078 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children (especially infants and toddlers) with high-risk, relapsed, or metastatic neuroblastoma whose tumors express the norepinephrine transporter and/or αvβ3 integrin would be the most likely candidates for trials of this approach.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not express the norepinephrine transporter or αvβ3 integrin, or patients with other types of cancer, are unlikely to benefit from this targeted therapy.
What this research studies
This project is developing a single engineered molecule (P1600-TAT/BG) that combines an αvβ3 integrin antagonist with a norepinephrine-like piece to both bind tumor surfaces and be taken up by neuroblastoma cells. The drug uses a polyethylene glycol linker to join the two parts and has shown multiple anti-cancer actions in lab models, including stopping growth, promoting cancer cell death, and blocking blood-vessel formation. The team is advancing the compound toward further testing and potential clinical use for children with high-risk or metastatic neuroblastoma. If clinical studies proceed, the work would move from lab and animal studies toward safety and dosing evaluations in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this dual-target approach could more precisely deliver anti-cancer effects to neuroblastoma cells and potentially improve outcomes with less damage to normal tissue.
How similar studies have gone: NET-targeting therapies such as 131I-MIBG are clinically used against neuroblastoma and integrin-targeting agents have shown experimental promise, but combining these two mechanisms in one molecule is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
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Nanopharmaceuticals, LLC
Rensselaer, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Davis, Paul — Nanopharmaceuticals, LLC
- Study coordinator: Davis, Paul
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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.