New drug combinations to boost KRAS-targeted treatment for KRAS-mutant cancers
Research Project 2
Testing new drug combinations to help KRAS-targeted medicines work better for people with KRAS-mutant lung, colon, and pancreatic cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11172479 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on making KRAS-targeted drugs like sotorasib and adagrasib work more strongly and longer for KRAS-mutant tumors. Researchers use tumors grown from patient samples (patient-derived xenografts) and advanced lab models including 3D heterotypic cultures to try different drug combinations that block KRAS signaling and related pathways. They will analyze protein and gene activity with cutting-edge methods such as spatio-transcriptomics and single-nucleus RNA sequencing to see how tumors resist treatment. The team aims to find combination approaches and the biological reasons some tumors stop responding.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with tumors that carry KRAS mutations—especially those with lung, colon, or pancreatic cancers and patients whose tumors have shown resistance to KRAS inhibitors—would be the primary candidates.
Not a fit: Patients without KRAS-mutant tumors or with cancer types outside lung, colon, and pancreas are unlikely to get direct benefit from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to combination treatments that extend and widen the benefit of KRAS-targeted drugs for people with KRAS-mutant cancers.
How similar studies have performed: KRAS inhibitors have produced meaningful responses in some lung cancers but have been less effective and less durable in colon and pancreatic cancers, so combining KRAS inhibitors with other pathway blockers is a promising but still experimental strategy.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lim, Kian H — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Lim, Kian H
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.