New ways to make natural compounds that could fight cancer, Alzheimer's, and inflammation
Official title: New Strategies Enabling the Synthesis and Evaluation of Alkaloids and Terpenoids with Underexplored Modes of Actions Against Cancers, Neurological Disorders, and Inflammation
Funded at University of California Riverside · NIH-11427056 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist team will make and test natural-looking molecules to see if they can block proteins linked to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and inflammatory conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Riverside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Riverside, United States) |
| Project start | July 10, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $420,492 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM166308-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11427056 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with cancers or neuroinflammatory conditions where future drugs targeting CaMKII, amyloid-beta, or nitric oxide pathways could be relevant.
✕Less likely to help
People unless a future drug from this line of research reaches clinical testing may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to create new chemical methods to synthesize natural products with complex structures and test them against emerging protein targets tied to cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and inflammation. The work combines advanced chemical synthesis with techniques to identify and measure how these molecules interact with specific targets, including CaMKII, amyloid-beta aggregation, and nitric oxide synthase. Over five years, the team hopes to build a foundation for potent, selective compounds that could become future drugs. The approach emphasizes collaboration between chemistry and biology to understand how these molecules affect disease-related pathways.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new drug candidates for cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and inflammatory conditions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that natural products can inspire potent drug leads, but this exact approach is exploratory and aims to expand target space.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Riverside
Riverside, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kou, Kevin G. — University of California Riverside
- Study coordinator: Kou, Kevin G.
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.