Glycopeptide Nanomaterials That Assemble at Disease Sites Triggered by Oxidative Signals
Official title: Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)-Triggered In Situ Peptide Assembly Directed by Cell-Specific Glycan Recognition
Funded at University of Mississippi · NIH-11570026 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new type of tiny, glycan-guided nanomaterial forms right at diseased tissue when exposed to disease-related reactive oxygen species, aiming to deliver drugs more precisely and safely.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Mississippi NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (University, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $182,755 |
| NIH project number | 5P20GM130460-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11570026 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with diseases characterized by elevated ROS in affected tissues where targeted nanomaterial assembly could enhance therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without ROS-driven tissue changes or without access to investigational nanomaterials would not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on creating modular glycopeptide building blocks that stay inactive until they encounter reactive oxygen species (ROS) in diseased tissue. When ROS are present, ROS-cleavable linkers trigger a self-assembly cascade that unblocks a hydrophobic peptide segment, forming nanostructures directly at the disease site. The resulting assemblies could help deliver therapy or act to disrupt diseased cell membranes, with imaging agents possible for diagnosis. The project will compare boronate-based and thioketal-based designs and map how different glycans guide cell targeting through lectin interactions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve tumor targeting and reduce off-target effects of nanomedicine therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that ROS-responsive materials can form at disease sites, but this approach with glycan-guided in situ assembly is innovative and requires validation.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Mississippi
University, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lou, Jinchao — University of Mississippi
- Study coordinator: Lou, Jinchao
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.