Targeted nanotherapy for precision cancer care in veterans
Official title: Targeted nanoTherapy to Precision Oncology Platform (TnT POP) for Veterans
Funded at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center · NIH-11206904 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests a nanoparticle treatment that targets cholesterol-hungry, treatment-resistant cancers in veterans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Jesse Brown VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2024 |
| Project end | September 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX006541-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11206904 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be veterans with cancers that have become resistant to chemotherapy or radiation and whose tumors show cholesterol uptake or SR-B1-related biology (for example some kidney cancers and lymphomas).
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not show SR-B1 expression or cholesterol-dependent biology, or those without cancer, are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are using lab-designed particles that look like natural HDL (good cholesterol) to attach to a cell surface receptor called SR-B1 that some cancers use to take up cholesterol. These HDL-like nanoparticles are engineered to be cholesterol-poor so they outcompete natural HDL and change cancer cell cholesterol balance, which can trigger cancer cell death. The team focuses on cancers that resist chemotherapy or radiation and that show this cholesterol/redox dependence, with the goal of turning the lab findings into precision diagnostics and treatments for veterans. Work will include laboratory and preclinical testing and steps toward translating the approach for affected veterans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could become a new targeted therapy for veterans whose tumors resist standard treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Early laboratory studies from this group and similar preclinical work are promising, but the HDL-like nanoparticle therapy is largely novel and not yet proven in people.
Where this research is happening
-
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thaxton, Colby Shad — Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Thaxton, Colby Shad
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.