Turning on chemotherapy at tumors with targeted click chemistry
Official title: Antigen-targeted activation of Topo1 inhibitors via click chemistry
Funded at Shasqi, INC. · NIH-11187221 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops a way to activate powerful Topo1 chemotherapy drugs only at tumor sites so people with cancer may get stronger treatment with fewer side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Shasqi, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 6, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $431,859 |
| NIH project number | 5R44CA291345-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11187221 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with solid tumors that express the targeted antigen (for example HER2‑positive cancers) and who are open to experimental targeted therapies would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not express the selected antigen or who require immediate standard-of-care treatment are unlikely to benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
The team links antibodies that recognize tumor markers (for example HER2) to modified topoisomerase‑1 inhibitors that remain inactive in the body until chemically activated at the tumor. They plan to use bioorthogonal "click" chemistry to trigger the drug only where the antibody binds, reducing exposure of healthy tissues. Tests will be done in laboratory models and preclinical systems to measure tumor killing and to track common toxicities such as neutropenia and liver injury. If preclinical results are promising, the approach could move toward first‑in‑human testing for patients with tumors expressing the chosen antigen.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could let doctors deliver more effective chemotherapy directly to tumors while reducing dangerous systemic side effects.
How similar studies have gone: Antibody–drug conjugates like trastuzumab–deruxtecan have shown that targeted chemotherapy can work in patients, but antigen‑activated click chemistry is a newer strategy designed to address ADC limitations and is less tested in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Shasqi, INC.
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mejia Oneto, Jose M — Shasqi, INC.
- Study coordinator: Mejia Oneto, Jose M
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.