Targeted nanoparticle chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer
Official title: Pilot Project 5 - Pancreatic Treatment
Funded at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ · NIH-11180527 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether a modified form of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine packaged in EGFR-targeted nanoparticles can better reach and kill pancreatic cancer cells while reducing toxicity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $49,135 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA233396-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180527 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, particularly those whose tumors express EGFR or who have tumors that are resistant to standard gemcitabine therapy, would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors lack EGFR expression or those seeking only established, approved treatments rather than experimental approaches may not benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers turned gemcitabine into a modified form (4NSG) and put it into nanoparticles coated with antibodies that stick to EGFR, a protein often found on pancreatic tumors. First, they will try these targeted nanoparticles on patient-derived organoids and primary tumor cells grown from real patients to see if the drug gets into the cancer and works better than standard gemcitabine. If those tests look promising, they will move to preclinical efficacy studies to measure how well the treatment shrinks tumors and whether it causes fewer side effects. The work is aimed at tumors that show high EGFR and may help overcome known resistance to gemcitabine.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make gemcitabine work better against pancreatic tumors and lower side effects by delivering the drug directly to cancer cells.
How similar studies have gone: Related nanoparticle and targeted-delivery approaches have shown encouraging results in laboratory and animal studies, but few have yet produced major clinical breakthroughs for pancreatic cancer.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ
Tallahassee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Agyare, Edward Kwasi — Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ
- Study coordinator: Agyare, Edward Kwasi
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.