Finding anti-cancer compounds from plants and U.S. lichens
Project 1: Isolation Chemistry of Plants and U.S. Lichens and Biological Evaluation
This project looks for natural chemicals from plants and coastal lichens that could become new treatments for people with rare cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11198505 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers at Ohio State receive extracts from tropical plants and from the NCI repository and extract U.S. coastal lichens and their fungal partners while confirming species identity. They use chemical separation and LC‑MS to prioritize active samples, then purify and determine compound structures using spectroscopy and X‑ray crystallography when needed. Promising extracts and purified compounds are tested against a panel of rare cancer cell lines (including leukemia, pancreatic, bladder, and thyroid lines) and scaled up for further study. The team also synthesizes compounds to support broader biological testing across the program.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with rare cancers such as certain leukemias, pancreatic, bladder, or thyroid cancers could be potential future candidates if compounds move into clinical trials.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment benefit are unlikely to gain direct help from this preclinical laboratory research right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to new anti-cancer drugs or drug leads for patients with rare cancers.
How similar studies have performed: Similar natural-product discovery programs have produced several cancer drugs historically, but this specific project is exploratory and preclinical.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kinghorn, Alan Douglas — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Kinghorn, Alan Douglas
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 below.