Looking for cancer-fighting compounds in blue‑green algae (cyanobacteria)
Project 2: Isolation Chemistry of Cultured Cyanobacteria
Researchers are isolating natural chemicals from freshwater cyanobacteria to find new drug leads that could help people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11198506 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project collects cyanobacteria (blue‑green algae) from the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, grows them in the lab, and extracts their chemical compounds. Lab teams will separate and test those extracts in cancer-focused biological assays to find any that stop tumor cells. Promising extracts will be purified, their chemical structures determined, and the genomes of select strains sequenced to understand how the compounds are made and to improve yields. The work is done through collaborations between chemistry and biology groups at partner universities to move promising compounds toward future drug development.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancer who might join later clinical trials of drugs developed from these compounds would be the eventual candidates for direct participation.
Not a fit: Because this is preclinical laboratory research, patients needing immediate treatment are unlikely to see direct benefit now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify new anticancer drug leads that might become new treatment options for patients in the future.
How similar studies have performed: Natural products have previously yielded effective cancer drugs and cyanobacteria have produced promising lead compounds, but turning those leads into approved treatments is difficult and takes time.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Orjala, Jimmy — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Orjala, Jimmy
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 below.