Synthesis of Dihydrobenzofuran Natural Products That Modulate Immune Response
Funded at California State University Long Beach · NIH-11424902 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scientist plans to make new dihydrobenzofuran compounds in the lab that could help reduce inflammation and potentially aid conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State University Long Beach NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Long Beach, United States) |
| Project start | August 10, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $146,819 |
| NIH project number | 1R16GM158919-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11424902 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals with inflammatory or neurodegenerative conditions who may benefit from future trials of new anti-inflammatory agents.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without inflammatory or neurodegenerative disease involvement may not directly benefit from this specific chemistry-focused grant.
What this research studies
This project focuses on creating and tweaking small, bioactive molecules called dihydrobenzofurans to see how they affect inflammatory pathways involved in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and arthritis. The team will develop a streamlined, late-stage diversification approach using a nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling method to rapidly generate structural variants. By using bench-stable reagents, they aim to optimize reactions so that potent analogs can be produced more efficiently, with the goal of enabling future testing in disease-relevant models. The work translates chemical synthesis advances into potential avenues for new therapies that target inflammation-related mechanisms in humans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could yield new chemical compounds that modulate inflammation and may lead to future treatments for inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Similar late-stage diversification strategies have enabled rapid generation of drug-like analogs in medicinal chemistry, though application to dihydrobenzofurans is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
California State University Long Beach
Long Beach, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wahlman, Julie Lyn Hofstra — California State University Long Beach
- Study coordinator: Wahlman, Julie Lyn Hofstra
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.