Finding antibodies for understudied cell-surface proteins using mRNA
Official title: High-throughput Discovery of Antibodies against Understudied Membrane Proteins using mRNA
Funded at Integral Molecular · NIH-11251852 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses mRNA to produce hard-to-study cell-surface proteins so researchers can find antibodies that might lead to new tests or treatments for people affected by those proteins.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Integral Molecular NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $923,143 |
| NIH project number | 2R44GM150317-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251852 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with conditions tied to malfunctioning GPCRs or ion channels—such as some neurological, cardiac, metabolic, or endocrine disorders—would be the most likely to benefit from future tests or treatments developed using these antibodies.
✕Less likely to help
People with illnesses unrelated to cell-surface receptors or anyone needing immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to see direct benefits from this antibody-development work right away.
What this research studies
From my perspective, researchers will use mRNA to make membrane proteins in cells so the proteins appear in their normal, cell-surface form. They will screen large libraries to identify monoclonal antibodies that bind these native proteins on living cells. The focus is on understudied but drug-relevant families like GPCRs and ion channels that often lack good antibodies. These antibodies could be used by scientists and companies to develop new diagnostics, research tools, or therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce new antibodies that enable better diagnostics and therapeutic development for diseases linked to previously understudied cell-surface proteins.
How similar studies have gone: Antibody-discovery methods have succeeded for many soluble proteins, but creating antibodies that reliably recognize native membrane proteins on cells is still challenging, so this mRNA-based high-throughput approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Integral Molecular
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chambers, Ross S — Integral Molecular
- Study coordinator: Chambers, Ross S
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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.