Preventing and treating inflammation-linked colon and rectal cancer
Prevention and Therapy of Inflammation Associated Colorectal Cancer
This work tests a new drug called MTDIA and improved prodrugs to prevent or treat colon and rectal cancers that arise from long-term intestinal inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albert Einstein College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bronx, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11247055 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are synthesizing and improving a targeted drug (MTDIA) that blocks the MTAP enzyme involved in a cancer-related metabolic pathway. They will test MTDIA and its prodrugs in two novel mouse models of sporadic colon tumors and rectal tumors. The team has already seen tumor inhibition in ApcMin/+ mice, human tumor organoids, and cancer cell lines, and reports low toxicity at effective doses. Successful preclinical results would support moving this approach toward human testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with colon or rectal cancer linked to chronic intestinal inflammation or people with inflammatory bowel disease who are at high risk for colorectal cancer would be the likely candidates for future trials.
Not a fit: People whose tumors are not driven by inflammation-related MTAP/SAM salvage pathways or whose cancers rely on different molecular drivers may not benefit from this therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could become a highly specific, low-toxicity option to prevent or shrink inflammation-associated colon and rectal tumors.
How similar studies have performed: Early laboratory and animal studies, including mouse models and human tumor organoids, have shown promising tumor inhibition but this approach has not yet been tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
Bronx, United States
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine — Bronx, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Augenlicht, Leonard H — Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Augenlicht, Leonard H
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 below.