Targeting CLDN1 to overcome chemoresistance and curb metastasis in colon cancer
Official title: Impact of CLDN1 inhibition on chemoresistance and metastasis of colon cancer
Funded at University of Kansas Medical Center · NIH-11324005 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new drug candidate that blocks CLDN1 may help people with colon cancer respond better to chemotherapy and reduce spread.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | February 12, 2021 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $538,197 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA250383-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324005 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with colon cancer, especially those with metastatic or chemoresistant disease, may benefit from advances arising from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with colon cancer that does not involve CLDN1-driven pathways or who cannot tolerate potential therapies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on colon cancer where metastasis and resistance to treatment drive poor outcomes. Researchers have identified CLDN1 as a key player in helping cancer cells detach, invade, and resist standard therapies, and they have developed a small molecule inhibitor, PDS-0330, that targets CLDN1. The study plans to test this inhibitor in cell and animal models to understand how it affects tumor growth and the spread of disease, as well as its interaction with chemotherapy. If successful, this work could lay the groundwork for new treatment strategies that improve survival for patients with advanced colon cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If the approach works, patients with colon cancer could experience better responses to chemotherapy and lower risk of metastasis.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked CLDN1 to metastasis in colon cancer and demonstrated the potential of targeted inhibitors in preclinical models; however, the CLDN1 inhibitor is novel and preclinical.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dhawan, Punita — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Dhawan, Punita
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How blocking a specific protein may help treat colon cancer
This study is looking at a protein called claudin-1 that helps colon cancer spread, and it’s testing a new treatment that might make chemotherapy work better and stop the cancer from spreading further, all to help people with advanced colon cancer feel better and live longer.
-
Stopping colon cancer from spreading to the liver with a new drug approach
Researchers are trying drugs that activate the dopamine D4 receptor, alone or with standard chemotherapy, to stop colon cancer from spreading to the liver in people at risk of liver metastases.
-
How the PTPRT gene affects colon cancer growth and spread
Researchers are looking at whether changes in a gene called PTPRT change how colon cancer grows and spreads, which could help people with colorectal cancer.
-
New treatment approach for liver cancer spread from colon cancer
This study is looking at a new way to help prevent liver cancer spread in people with colon cancer by testing a special treatment that works with certain receptors in the body, and it aims to see how well this treatment works alone or with other cancer medicines.
-
Investigating how a specific protein affects colon cancer growth and spread
This study is looking at a protein called PTPRT and how changes in it might affect the growth and spread of colon cancer, using special mice to help find new ways to understand and treat the disease.
-
Investigating how sex differences affect colon cancer spread
This study is looking at how a gene called KDM5D affects colon cancer differently in men and women, with the goal of finding new treatments that could help improve survival for all patients.
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.