Natural-compound approaches for cancer and drug-resistant infections
Synthetic and translational studies of antitumor and antimicrobial natural products.
This work develops new medicine candidates from natural molecules to target cancers and drug‑resistant bacterial infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310025 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have cancer or a drug‑resistant bacterial infection, this team is making and refining compounds found in nature to find ones that kill disease cells. They build exact chemical copies of complex natural products and systematically change parts of the molecules to learn which pieces are needed for activity and how the molecules work. Experiments use lab-grown cancer cells and mouse models to identify biological targets and improve tolerability. Promising molecules would be advanced through further preclinical testing and could become candidates for future human trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers or with drug‑resistant bacterial infections would be the kinds of patients who might benefit from these future treatments.
Not a fit: Patients without cancer or bacterial infections, or those who need immediate approved therapies, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused work right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could produce new drug candidates that more effectively treat certain cancers and antibiotic‑resistant infections.
How similar studies have performed: Drugs derived from natural products have led to successful cancer and antibiotic treatments before, but these particular compounds are mostly at an early, preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Herzon, Seth B. — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Herzon, Seth B.
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.