Manjeet Rao, PhD, Awarded NCI, R01 Grant to Test Efficacy of Novel Drug
Dr. Manjeet Rao, Greehey CCRI Deputy Director (interim), was recently awarded a grant from National Cancer Institute ($2.1 million) to test the therapeutic efficacy of a novel drug that can inhibit the function of a protein that is highly expressed in cancers. Cancer cells use various mechanisms to manage their survival such as repairing DNA damage using alternative DNA repair mechanisms. Moreover, the ability of cancer cells to repair radiation or chemotherapy drug-induced DNA damage also serves as one of the mechanisms for therapy resistance. According to Dr. Rao, this drug can suppress the alternative (or rescue) DNA repair responses of cancer cells and therefore will have promising therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, this drug has the potential to enhance the efficacy of the current chemotherapy drugs and prolong the survival of cancer patients.
Since 2004, UT Health San Antonio, Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) mission has been to advance scientific knowledge relevant to childhood cancer, contribute to understanding its causes, and accelerate the translation of knowledge into novel therapies. Greehey CCRI strives to have a national and global impact on childhood cancer by discovering, developing, and disseminating new scientific knowledge. Our mission consists of three key areas — research, clinical, and education.
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