Stopping harmful circular RNA-made proteins in glioblastoma
Official title: Targeting circRNA translation in glioblastoma
Funded at Greater Los Angeles Veterans Research and Education Foundation · NIH-11283941 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests a new small-molecule treatment that blocks abnormal proteins made from circular RNA to slow glioblastoma growth in adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Greater Los Angeles Veterans Research and Education Foundation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $313,616 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA278783-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11283941 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with glioblastoma, especially those able to donate tumor tissue or whose tumors show c-MET activation, would be the most relevant candidates for future trials arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
People looking for an immediate treatment or patients with non-glioblastoma brain conditions are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical project.
What this research studies
Researchers have found that some circular RNAs make proteins that help glioblastoma tumors grow and invade surrounding brain tissue. The team will work to understand how those circular RNAs activate the c-MET growth pathway and how PKA/PTBP1 signaling controls their production. They will test a novel small molecule that blocks IRES-dependent translation of these circular RNAs in patient-derived tumor models implanted in the brain of mice. The researchers will also chemically modify the compound to try to improve its anti-glioblastoma activity before any human testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new targeted therapy that slows tumor growth and invasion in people with glioblastoma.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting proteins produced from circular RNAs is a fairly new approach with limited clinical precedent, while past single-agent drugs against RTK drivers like EGFR or c-MET have generally not provided durable benefit in glioblastoma.
Where this research is happening
-
Greater Los Angeles Veterans Research and Education Foundation
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gera, Joseph F — Greater Los Angeles Veterans Research and Education Foundation
- Study coordinator: Gera, Joseph F
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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.