Targeting the cell's recycling system to remove harmful proteins and help large medicines enter cells
Official title: Developing Autophagy-Targeting Chimeras and Optimizing Cell Penetration of Large-Molecule Therapeutics
Funded at Tufts University Medford · NIH-11374408 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are designing new molecules that hijack cells' recycling machinery to break down disease-causing proteins and improve delivery of large medicines for people with advanced cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tufts University Medford NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $577,303 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM148407-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11374408 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with late-stage or treatment-resistant cancers driven by proteins that could be targeted by autophagy-based degradation might be candidates for future therapies developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cancer or those whose disease is not driven by proteins amenable to autophagy-targeted degradation are unlikely to benefit from this work in the near term.
What this research studies
This project is creating two kinds of tools: molecules that block or bind LC3/GABARAP proteins involved in autophagy, and autophagy-targeting chimeras (AUTACs) that tag specific proteins for destruction. The team will make stapled peptides and small molecules that bind those autophagy proteins and test whether they can selectively remove target proteins in cell and cancer models. They will also work on ways to help big therapeutic molecules get into cells more effectively. Early lab results support the AUTAC idea, and the work aims to turn those lab successes into methods that could eventually be used against late-stage cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more precise cancer treatments that destroy harmful proteins and make large-molecule drugs effective against tumors.
How similar studies have gone: Related technologies like PROTACs have shown promise in drug development, but AUTACs and highly specific LC3/GABARAP inhibitors are newer and have less clinical testing to date.
Where this research is happening
-
Tufts University Medford
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kritzer, Joshua a — Tufts University Medford
- Study coordinator: Kritzer, Joshua a
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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.