New medicines for advanced colon cancer
Official title: Targeting SUMO1 degradation for advanced colon cancer therapy
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11127751 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to create new small-molecule drugs to treat advanced colon cancer, especially when current treatments are not working well.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $373,036 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA266699-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11127751 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with advanced colon cancer, particularly those whose cancer has spread or become resistant to existing treatments, could potentially benefit from future therapies developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with early-stage colon cancer or those responding well to current standard therapies may not directly benefit from this specific research focus on advanced, resistant disease.
What this research studies
Many people with advanced colon cancer, especially when it spreads to other organs, face challenges because current treatments often stop working. This project is working to develop a new type of medicine that targets a specific protein called SUMO1, which plays a role in cancer growth. Researchers are creating small-molecule drugs designed to break down SUMO1 in cancer cells. The hope is that these new drugs could offer a fresh approach to treating colon cancer that has become resistant to standard therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to the first new class of drugs specifically designed to overcome resistance in advanced colon cancer.
How similar studies have gone: This approach is considered "first-in-class," meaning it's a novel strategy, but early lab tests using cancer cells and patient-derived models have shown promising initial results.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bellail, Anita — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Bellail, Anita
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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.