Investigating drugs that target PRL3 to stop cancer spread
Official title: PRL3 inhibitors as migrastatics and the molecular determinants of PRL3 druggability
Funded at Georgia Southern University · NIH-10936042 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on new medicines that can block a protein called PRL3, which helps cancer spread, with the goal of creating better treatments for people with advanced cancers like colorectal cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Georgia Southern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Statesboro, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $175,859 |
| NIH project number | 1R16GM154696-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10936042 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with late-stage cancers, especially those with colorectal cancer or other cancers where PRL3 is known to play a role in metastasis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage cancers or those whose tumors do not express PRL3 may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on developing new drugs that specifically inhibit PRL3, a protein linked to cancer metastasis, which is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. The project aims to understand the mechanisms by which PRL3 contributes to cancer spread and to create effective treatments that can target this protein. By studying cancer models and patient data, the researchers hope to identify how these drugs can be designed to effectively bind to PRL3 and prevent its harmful effects. This approach could lead to more targeted therapies for patients with late-stage cancers, particularly colorectal cancer and others where PRL3 is implicated.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that significantly reduce cancer metastasis and improve survival rates for patients with advanced cancers.
How similar studies have gone: While the approach of targeting PRL3 is promising, it is still relatively novel and has not yet been extensively tested in clinical settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dela Cerna, Mark Vincent Carreon — Georgia Southern University
- Study coordinator: Dela Cerna, Mark Vincent Carreon
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.