Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) awarded $420,492 to the Regents of the University of California at Riverside under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) on July 10, 2026, for a five-year project extending through April 30, 2031. The award funds the development of novel chemical synthesis strategies and biological evaluation of natural product-derived compounds targeting three disease-associated protein mechanisms: calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) for cancer treatment, amyloid-beta aggregation inhibition for Alzheimer's disease, and nitric oxide synthase inhibition for inflammatory conditions. The research focuses on synthesizing and optimizing bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, strained lycopodium alkaloids, and rare sesquiterpenoid lactone adducts as potential therapeutic agents.

The research deliverables include the chemical synthesis of natural product analogs with enhanced potencies and selectivities, comprehensive bioactivity assessments, molecular target identification, and chemoproteomics-based target selectivity analyses. The interdisciplinary approach combines synthetic chemistry with collaborative biological testing to establish a foundation for developing the first small-molecule drugs targeting the identified protein mechanisms. This work is positioned to contribute substantially to drug discovery efforts for cancers, Alzheimer's disease, and inflammatory disorders by advancing understanding of underexplored natural product modes of action.