Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) awarded a $640,466 Project Grant to The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco under the Cancer Treatment Research program (CFDA 93.395) effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031. This five-year initiative focuses on developing a novel class of covalent protein radiopharmaceuticals for targeted radionuclide therapy in cancer treatment. The project involves designing and genetically incorporating latent bioreactive amino acids into low-molecular-weight protein binders, followed by radionuclide labeling. The resulting radiopharmaceuticals are engineered to achieve irreversible binding to cancer targets upon in vivo administration, thereby enhancing tumor uptake while minimizing radiation exposure to normal tissues—addressing a critical efficacy and safety balance limitation in existing radiopharmaceuticals.

The deliverables include comprehensive preclinical evaluation of pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, and antitumor efficacy using positron emission tomography imaging and mouse xenograft models, including both cell-line-derived and clinically relevant patient-derived xenografts. This research will generate foundational data supporting the translation of covalent protein radiopharmaceuticals toward potential clinical applications in cancer treatment. The project is conducted at UCSF's San Francisco, California facility, leveraging the institution's established capabilities in biomedical research and cancer therapeutics.