New ways to shape molecules for better medicines
Official title: New Catalysts, Strategies and Methods for Stereoselective Chemical Synthesis
Funded at Boston College · NIH-11381830 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A cancer- and disease-focused grant aims to create new chemical tools and methods to precisely change the 3-D shape of bioactive molecules, potentially yielding new drug leads.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chestnut Hill, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2019 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $573,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM130395-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381830 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with conditions that could be targeted by new chemically optimized medicines arising from these drug leads.
✕Less likely to help
Participants in this foundational chemistry project would not directly receive a therapeutic intervention.
What this research studies
This project will develop catalysts and methods to sculpt complex molecules so they fit biological targets more effectively. By exploring ring-opening and ring-closing reactions, researchers aim to create expanded or contracted cyclic structures from natural products. The work focuses on molecules that could become drug leads for various diseases, using readily available starting materials to rapidly generate new candidates.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could produce new drug leads with improved effectiveness for diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Similar olefin metathesis approaches have yielded novel compounds and drug leads in prior work, indicating potential but with ongoing development needs.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hoveyda, Amir H — Boston College
- Study coordinator: Hoveyda, Amir H
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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.