Targeting transcription-driven cancer with small molecules
Official title: Targeting transcriptional addiction in fusion-driven sarcoma
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11370639 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project at UT Southwestern aims to create and test small drugs that jam the cancer-causing drive of fusion proteins in certain pediatric/adolescent cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | July 8, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,349,362 |
| NIH project number | 5UM1CA294119-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370639 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with cancers driven by transcriptional fusion oncoproteins, especially adolescents with relevant tumor biology, could potentially benefit from future therapies arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Early-stage drug discovery may not yet provide immediate benefit to current patients.
What this research studies
This project focuses on developing small molecules to interfere with transcriptional fusion oncoproteins that fuel cancer. Researchers will explore how these fusion proteins hijack the transcriptional machinery and identify druggable points, including components like the Mediator complex and CDK8. They will use protein biochemistry and drug-discovery methods to design molecules that can impair the abnormal transcriptional programs without requiring enzymatic activity. The work addresses a critical gap in therapies for cancers driven by fusion proteins and seeks to translate molecular insights into potential therapies. Although ambitious and complex, the team is leveraging established expertise in small molecule discovery to pursue tangible targets in cancer biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new targeted therapies that interrupt the cancer-driving transcription programs in fusion-positive cancers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that targeting transcriptional regulators can be effective in some cancers, but directly drugging transcriptional fusion proteins remains challenging and ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcfadden, David Glenn — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mcfadden, David Glenn
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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.