Turning fungal genes into new cancer-fighting medicines
Advancing Precision Genome Engineering to Unlock Novel Fungal Natural Products
This project uses precise gene editing of fungi to make and discover natural compounds that could become new cancer treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11260483 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use an advanced multiplex base-editing (MBE) gene-editing platform to turn on hidden fungal pathways and make novel natural molecules. They will build cleaner host strains by removing interfering gene clusters so small or rare compounds are easier to detect and produce. The team will also expand gene-editing to change epigenetic regulators and probe enzymatic steps that create new chemical structures. Promising compounds will be characterized in the lab for anticancer activity as a first step toward drug development.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is laboratory-based, preclinical work with no patient enrollment, though people with hard-to-treat or treatment-resistant cancers could potentially benefit from drugs developed later.
Not a fit: Patients looking for immediate treatments or clinical care will not receive direct benefit from this basic research right now.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could yield new anticancer drug candidates with novel mechanisms that eventually help patients whose tumors do not respond to current therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Natural-product discovery from fungi has historically produced many approved drugs and genome-engineering approaches show promise but remain early-stage for producing clinical therapies.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gao, Xue — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Gao, Xue
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 below.