CPRIT Grant Supports UH College of Pharmacy Fight Against Rare Genetic Disorder

The University of Houston College of Pharmacy has received a significant boost in the fight against familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) with a $1.4 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Ming Hu, Diana S-L. Chow Endowed Professor of Drug Discovery and Development, and Gregory Cuny, Joseph P. & Shirley Shipman Buckley Endowed Professor of Drug Discovery, are leading the charge to develop new drugs to combat this rare genetic disorder.

"We propose to develop locally bioavailable (i.e., no systemic exposure and toxicities) selective COX-2 inhibitors that are only available in the colon to suppress colonic COX-2 expression and reduce prostaglandin E2 levels, which is known to promote tumor growth,” said Hu.

The research aims to create drugs that specifically target the affected areas of the body without causing harm to the entire system. Cuny explained, “They target the areas by being slowly metabolized in the colon but rapidly metabolized in the liver via a process called glucuronidation and undergoing recycling backed to the colon, minimizing systemic exposure.”

The project is a collaborative effort involving experts like Noah Freeman Shroyer from Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Eduardo Vilar Sanchez from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and Rashim Singh from UH College of Pharmacy. Hu expressed optimism about the project's potential impact, stating, “Our project holds great promise for FAP patients by providing a new treatment paradigm that would be safe and effective.”

CPRIT's funding support plays a vital role in advancing cancer research, with Texas leading the nation in this commitment. Since 2010, CPRIT has allocated over $3.5 billion towards cancer research, product development, and prevention, with the recent grant to UH College of Pharmacy being a significant contribution in the ongoing battle against rare genetic disorders like FAP.