New pyrazole drugs to fight triple-negative breast cancer
Official title: Characterization of novel pyrazole compounds with potent anti-cancer activity
Funded at University of Texas El Paso · NIH-11322620 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Developing new pyrazole-based compounds intended to kill triple-negative breast cancer cells and other tumor types.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas El Paso NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (El Paso, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $151,360 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM149379-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11322620 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future trials would be adults with triple-negative breast cancer, particularly those with tumors that have progressed despite standard therapies.
✕Less likely to help
People without cancer, patients with cancers that are biologically unlike triple-negative breast tumors, and anyone expecting immediate treatment benefit during this preclinical stage would not benefit from this grant's current work.
What this research studies
Researchers screened thousands of drug-like molecules using live-cell imaging and found a pair of related pyrazole compounds (P3C and a stronger analogue P3C.1) that kill many cancer cell lines. In lab tests these compounds raise reactive oxygen species, disrupt mitochondria, activate caspases, damage DNA, and trigger apoptosis in cancer cells. The team plans to compare how the two compounds work, why some cancer lines respond differently, and to map the signaling pathways they activate. Future work may expand testing across more cell lines and move toward animal studies to check tumor shrinkage and safety before any human trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If these compounds prove safe and effective, they could become new treatments that shrink or kill tumors, especially for people with triple-negative breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: High-throughput screens have previously found drug leads that became therapies, but these specific pyrazole compounds are novel and have not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas El Paso
El Paso, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Aguilera, Renato J — University of Texas El Paso
- Study coordinator: Aguilera, Renato J
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.