Improving cancer medicines and how they act in the body

Core 2: Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacokinetics Core

NIH-funded research Ohio State University · NIH-11198509

This project makes and refines potential cancer drugs and studies how they move through and are processed by the body to help people with cancer.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionOhio State University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES)
Project IDNIH-11198509 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

At Ohio State, chemists make and modify new molecules that could become cancer drugs and scale up promising compounds for further testing. Pharmacologists measure how those compounds behave in blood and tissues and study drug breakdown and distribution (pharmacokinetics). The team also uses lab models, including zebrafish, to screen for activity and possible toxic effects before any human testing. The core works closely with other projects in the program to move promising natural-product leads toward later-stage development.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People with cancer who may later be eligible for clinical trials of new drugs developed through this program would be the most likely candidates to benefit in the future.

Not a fit: This core is focused on preclinical chemistry and pharmacology, so it does not offer immediate treatment or directly enroll patients in a clinical trial now.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce better, safer anticancer drugs with clearer dosing and fewer side effects.

How similar studies have performed: Medicinal chemistry and pharmacokinetics approaches have previously helped experimental anticancer compounds advance toward clinical testing, and this core builds on prior successes with natural-product leads such as phyllanthusmins and rocaglamides.

Where this research is happening

Columbus, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Anti-Cancer AgentsCancer Drug
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.