Photodynamic lipids to boost chemotherapy for metastatic ovarian cancer
Official title: Photodynamic Alteration of Cell Membrane Lipids to Enhance Chemotherapy Efficacy in Metastatic Ovarian Cancer
Funded at Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah · NIH-11601571 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-friendly approach tests a light-activated method to make ovarian cancer metastases more sensitive to chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00CA300924-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11601571 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer with peritoneal metastases who would be eligible for standard chemotherapy and whose disease could be studied in preclinical or translational settings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not suitable for light-activated approaches or those without peritoneal metastases may not benefit from this strategy.
What this research studies
This project explores using light-activated changes to cancer cell membranes to help chemotherapy work better against ovarian cancer that has spread. By delivering light to the abdomen and combining fatty compounds with photosensitizers, researchers hope to make cancer cells more permeable to drugs. The work is done in preclinical models to understand how this photodynamic priming could enhance treatment outcomes for patients with peritoneal metastases. If successful, it could lead to new combination strategies used alongside standard therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make chemotherapy more effective against spreading ovarian cancer, potentially improving response and survival.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier photodynamic and lipid-targeting strategies have shown potential in preclinical models to enhance drug delivery and efficacy, but this exact combination is being explored in preclinical settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
Salt Lake City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Overchuk, Marta — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Overchuk, Marta
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Alternative NF-kB activation after chemotherapy in ovarian cancer
This grant studies how ovarian cancer might come back after chemotherapy by looking at specific signaling pathways in cancer cells and the tumor environment.
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Understanding how chemotherapy-related changes fuel ovarian cancer relapse
Aims to uncover how changes after chemotherapy help ovarian cancer come back and how to block those signals to help patients stay cancer-free.
-
Protecting hair from ovarian cancer chemotherapy
Trying low-intensity ultrasound to protect the hair of people getting paclitaxel chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.
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How chemotherapy can activate MASP and help ovarian cancer spread
This project looks at whether common chemotherapy drugs trigger a protein called MASP that helps high-grade serous ovarian cancer cells spread, with the aim of protecting patients from metastatic relapse.
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Why ovarian cancer can come back after chemotherapy — the role of NF-kB signaling
Researchers are looking at whether signals called alternative NF-kB, triggered after chemotherapy, help drug-resistant tumor-initiating cells survive and cause ovarian cancer to return in women treated for ovarian cancer.
-
Why ovarian cancer returns after chemotherapy — the role of an alternative NF‑κB signal
This project looks at whether a signaling pathway called alternative NF‑κB helps chemo‑resistant ovarian cancer cells survive and lead to relapse in women treated for ovarian cancer.
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.