Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded $551,154 to The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY at Binghamton) under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) for a five-year project period beginning April 1, 2026 and concluding March 31, 2031. The award supports research and development of novel chemical tools for designing next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), a therapeutic platform combining antibodies with cytotoxic payloads for targeted cancer treatment. The project addresses critical limitations in current ADC technology by developing new linker technologies, exploring synergistic dual-payload combinations, and designing mechanized antibodies that deliver catalytic functions rather than traditional cytotoxic agents.

The research encompasses three primary focus areas: (1) design of self-immolative spacers enabling payload release for non-amine-containing compounds such as sulfonamides, ureas, carbamates, and hydroxamates; (2) systematic exploration of synergistic dual-payload ADC combinations through a rapid mix-and-match preparation approach; and (3) development of ADCs that deliver organic-metallic catalysts to antigen-expressing cells for applications including detoxification and anti-inflammatory therapeutics. These research outputs are intended to expand the therapeutic capabilities and clinical applicability of ADC technology by overcoming existing chemical and design constraints while enabling the discovery of novel combination approaches with unexpected biological activity.