Novel OTUD7A inhibitors to treat Ewing sarcoma
Official title: Targeting deubiquitinase OTUD7A as a novel therapeutic strategy for Ewing sarcoma
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11381166 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist team is developing new small-molecule drugs that block OTUD7A to slow or stop Ewing sarcoma in children and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $628,539 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA313947-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11381166 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with Ewing sarcoma, particularly those with relapsed or resistant disease, may benefit from future translation of these inhibitors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not rely on OTUD7A or who cannot tolerate potential therapies may not benefit.
What this research studies
Ewing sarcoma is a dangerous cancer of bone and soft tissue that often stops responding to standard chemotherapy. The project uses AI-assisted methods, structure-based drug design, and laboratory tests to create inhibitors of OTUD7A, a protein linked to tumor growth. The team will test these compounds in biochemical assays and mouse models to see if they effectively reduce the cancer’s growth and improve treatment outcomes. If successful, this work could lead to a new, targeted therapy for patients with Ewing sarcoma.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with Ewing sarcoma could gain a new targeted treatment that slows tumor growth and could improve survival.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show that targeting protein stability and specific deubiquitinases can reduce tumor growth in some cancers, supporting the approach but clinical benefit in Ewing sarcoma is not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Xiaodong — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Wang, Xiaodong
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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.