Leucine-rich repeat peptide drugs to boost cancer therapy
Official title: Unlock the potential of leucine rich repeats as therapeutic drugs
Funded at Iowa State University · NIH-11445420 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new grant is exploring tiny protein fragments from decorin and biglycan, delivered in nanoparticles, to help existing cancer drugs work better and overcome resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ames, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $225,702 |
| NIH project number | 1R37CA299228-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11445420 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers that show resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies or poor responses to vaccines and immunotherapies.
✕Less likely to help
Some cancers or patients may not respond to these peptide formulations or may experience unrelated treatment risks.
What this research studies
This project aims to create peptide drugs from leucine-rich repeats and deliver them with nanoparticles to help current cancer treatments work more effectively. It targets overcoming resistance to EGFR TKIs, strengthens immune activation by adjuvants, and supports immune checkpoint therapy. The work combines peptide design, drug formulation, and preclinical testing to see if these LRRs can boost tumor sensitivity and immune response in cancer models. If successful, it could lead to safer, more potent combination therapies for patients with resistant cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more effective cancer therapies with fewer resistance issues and potentially improved survival.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work with ECM-derived peptides and nanoparticle delivery has shown potential, but this exact LRR-based approach is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa State University
Ames, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Jing — Iowa State University
- Study coordinator: Wang, Jing
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.