Mitotic MTH1 Inhibitors for Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11421329 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A treatment approach targeting a specific cancer cell weakness (MTH1) to help women whose ovarian cancer stopped responding to platinum-based therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2009 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $275,888 |
| NIH project number | 2P50CA136393-16 |
| Project ID | NIH-11421329 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who have progressed after platinum-based therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer does not rely on MTH1 pathways or who cannot tolerate MTH1 inhibitors may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on a targeted cancer therapy for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer by inhibiting MTH1, a key enzyme cancer cells rely on. The work includes preclinical studies showing that MTH1 inhibitors can disrupt cancer cell survival and work well with paclitaxel to shrink tumors. Researchers have already observed that an MTH1 inhibitor, karonudib, causes cancer cells to accumulate damaged DNA and die, while sparing normal fallopian tube cells in the lab. The project aims to advance these findings toward clinical relevance for patients who have exhausted standard treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a new option for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, potentially improving response rates and survival.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical data with MTH1 inhibitors show cytotoxic effects in ovarian cancer cell lines and synergy with paclitaxel; translation to patients remains ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kaufmann, Scott H — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Kaufmann, Scott H
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cirtuvivint plus PARP inhibitor in BRCA/HRD ovarian cancer
A new treatment approach combines a CLK/DYRK inhibitor with a PARP inhibitor to help women with BRCA mutations or HRD ovarian cancer who have become resistant to platinum therapy.
-
Targeting cancer-specific protein variants to guide T-cell therapy in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
Aims to find unique protein variants in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer to guide T-cell receptor therapy for patients.
-
Why some ovarian cancers resist platinum chemotherapy: changes in tumor metabolism
This project looks at how ovarian tumors change their metabolism when they stop responding to platinum chemotherapy and seeks new targets and markers to help women with recurrent high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
-
Cirtuvivint plus olaparib for BRCA/HRD ovarian cancer that stopped responding to platinum
This work adds cirtuvivint to the PARP drug olaparib to try to help people with BRCA-mutated or homologous recombination–deficient ovarian cancer that no longer responds to platinum chemotherapy.
-
Finding new treatments for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer using T-cell therapy
This study is looking for new ways to help patients with tough-to-treat ovarian cancer by analyzing their tumor samples to find specific targets that can be attacked by the immune system, which could lead to better treatments for them.
-
Exploring how ovarian cancer cells change metabolism to resist treatment
This study is looking into why some patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer stop responding to standard platinum treatments, and it hopes to find new ways to help those patients by understanding how their cancer cells change and adapt.
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.