Making more precise cancer-targeting medicines using special amino acids
Official title: Bioconjugations Employing Unnatural Amino Acids
Funded at College of William and Mary · NIH-11220470 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using uncommon amino acids to build precise antibody-linked drug-and-tracer combinations that could help deliver cancer medicines more accurately and let doctors see where they go.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R15 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | College of William and Mary NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Williamsburg, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2016 |
| Project end | September 1, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $358,279 |
| NIH project number | 2R15GM113203-03A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11220470 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This work is most relevant to people with cancers that are or could be treated with antibody‑drug conjugates, though the project itself is preclinical lab research rather than a patient trial.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cancer or those seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to benefit directly from this laboratory-focused project.
What this research studies
From my point of view as a patient, the team is adding special, nonstandard amino acids into proteins so those proteins have exact attachment points. They are developing gentle chemical reactions that work in water and at body-like conditions to link drugs, antibodies, and tracking dyes. The researchers plan to combine these steps to make multivalent conjugates that can carry a targeting antibody, a small‑molecule cancer drug, and a fluorescent tag in one well-defined molecule. Most of this work happens in the lab to optimize chemistry and the activity of the conjugates before any patient testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could produce antibody-drug conjugates that deliver cancer drugs more precisely, lower side effects, and allow tracking of drug delivery.
How similar studies have gone: Antibody-drug conjugates are already an approved approach in cancer care, but using noncanonical amino acids and the described new bioconjugation chemistries is a relatively new and less-tested method.
Where this research is happening
-
College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Young, Douglas — College of William and Mary
- Study coordinator: Young, Douglas
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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.