Producing eleutherobin, a potential cancer-fighting compound
Elucidating and engineering eleutherobin biosynthesis
The team is developing lab methods to make eleutherobin, a marine compound with cancer-fighting potential, so it could be available for new treatments for people with cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320899 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are working to identify and re-create the enzymes that octocorals use to build eleutherobin, a molecule that can stop cancer cells from growing. They will put those enzymes into lab microbes or other production systems to produce key precursors and test each enzyme's function. The group will combine these bioproduction steps with targeted chemical steps to complete a semisynthesis of eleutherobin. This is laboratory research focused on making a sustainable supply and does not yet involve patient testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancer who are interested in new therapeutic options could be future candidates for clinical trials using eleutherobin if production and safety testing succeed.
Not a fit: Patients needing immediate treatment or hoping to enter a clinical trial now will not receive direct benefit from this preclinical lab project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could provide a reliable source of eleutherobin to enable drug development and future clinical trials for cancer patients.
How similar studies have performed: Similar synthetic-biology and enzyme-characterization strategies have enabled production of other natural-product drugs, but applying them to eleutherobin is novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
Tampa, United States
- University of South Florida — Tampa, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Scesa, Paul David — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Scesa, Paul David
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.