New medicines to stop cancer from spreading
MBQ-167 derivatives as antimetastatic cancer agents.
Researchers are developing improved versions of a drug that aim to block cancer cells from spreading in people with pancreatic and breast cancers using lab models and short-term tests on patient tumor tissue.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Puerto Rico Med Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Juan, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11399769 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a patient, you should know the team is working on drugs that block proteins (Rac and Cdc42) that help cancer cells move and invade other organs. They will test the new compounds in mouse models to check safety, how the drug reaches the body, and whether it slows tumor growth and spread. The researchers will also treat small samples of tumor tissue taken during biopsy or surgery to see direct effects on cancer cells and immune cells. The goal is to find a compound that could become a treatment to prevent or slow metastasis.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates to contribute would be patients with pancreatic or breast cancer who are undergoing biopsy or surgery and are willing to donate tumor tissue for short-term research testing.
Not a fit: Patients who are not having biopsy or surgery, healthy volunteers, or people with cancers not driven by these pathways are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these drugs could reduce or prevent metastatic spread of pancreatic and breast cancers, which may improve survival and lower complications from metastases.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work with the related compound MBQ-167 showed reduced tumor growth and metastasis in cell and mouse models, but benefit in people has not yet been demonstrated.
Where this research is happening
San Juan, United States
- University of Puerto Rico Med Sciences — San Juan, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dharmawardhane, Suranganie — University of Puerto Rico Med Sciences
- Study coordinator: Dharmawardhane, Suranganie
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.