New chemical tools to make peptide drugs that can fight cancer
Official title: New orthogonal strategies for chemoselective peptide macrocyclization
Funded at University of Missouri-Columbia · NIH-11428559 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are developing two new, safer ways to join amino-acid building blocks into circular peptide drugs that could better reach cancer cells.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Missouri-Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $418,114 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM165587-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11428559 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancer could benefit in the long term from new peptide-based therapies developed using these methods.
✕Less likely to help
This grant focuses on tool development and chemistry; direct patient benefit would come from future therapies built on these tools.
What this research studies
This project aims to create two new methods to cyclize peptides in a selective way, improving their stability in the body and their ability to enter cells. The researchers will test these methods on bioactive peptide analogs to see how cyclization affects their shape, stability, and how well they can reach targets in cells. By expanding the options for turning peptides into effective medicines, this work could broaden how peptide drugs are designed and used against cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these methods could enable the rapid creation of more stable and cell-permeable peptide-based cancer therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Similar peptide cyclization approaches have shown promise, but the proposed orthogonal methods seek to broaden and customize this chemistry for better performance.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Outlaw, Victor Kenneth — University of Missouri-Columbia
- Study coordinator: Outlaw, Victor Kenneth
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.