Safer programmable cell therapies using non‑integrating DNA tools
Official title: Engineering therapeutic cellular functions using robust and highly programmable extrachromosomal genetic technologies
Funded at Rice University · NIH-11304609 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project builds non‑integrating DNA tools to program human cells so future cell therapies can be safer and more reliable for patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rice University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $484,203 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB036003-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11304609 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be people willing to donate cells for research or who later join clinical trials using episome‑based cell therapies.
✕Less likely to help
People looking for an immediate clinical treatment should not expect direct benefit from this laboratory research project.
What this research studies
Researchers are creating DNA 'episomes' that sit outside your chromosomes so engineered cells can carry useful functions without permanently changing your genes. They borrow strategies from harmless viruses to keep the delivered DNA stable, control gene activity, and copy it as cells divide. The team will design and test these programmable episomes in human cells and laboratory models to check how well they work and how safe they are. Over several years this lab work aims to make engineered cell treatments more predictable and easier to produce.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable cell therapies that avoid permanent DNA insertion, lowering long‑term risks and improving treatment durability.
How similar studies have gone: Related non‑integrating approaches (for example some viral episomes and minicircle DNAs) have shown promise in lab studies and early trials, but this highly programmable episome strategy is largely novel and preclinical.
Where this research is happening
-
Rice University
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hilton, Isaac — Rice University
- Study coordinator: Hilton, Isaac
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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.