NDSU researcher awarded $1.35 million research grant to develop targeted treatment for colorectal cancer

A researcher at North Dakota State University, Fargo, is receiving a four-year $1.35 million research project grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health to develop a targeted treatment for colorectal cancer.

Bin Guo, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences at NDSU, is using the grant to develop a treatment system to attack metastatic colorectal cancer cells, suppressing their growth and allowing conventional chemotherapy drugs to eliminate them.

Guo's research started with the understanding that people with low levels of vitamin D have a significantly higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. He and his team studied genes that are regulated by vitamin D and, through a screening process, identified a vitamin D-activated micro ribonucleic acid, or microRNA, that suppresses colorectal cancer. MicroRNAs are very small RNAs that suppress the function of other genes, including those that create proteins that stimulate cell growth.

"We found that this specific microRNA, miR-627, is the only one that is activated by vitamin D," Guo said. "If we can deliver it into the cells, then we can stop the cancer."

The challenge, he said, is that microRNAs are fragile and are easily destroyed by enzymes in blood. In this phase of research, the team is designing and constructing a highly stable nanoparticle platform to deliver the microRNA. The goal is to use an antigen that is only expressed by cancer cells as a guide so therapeutics will be delivered specifically to those cells without accumulating in the liver, lungs or other vital organs or causing the side effects typical to most chemotherapies.

"This NIH award is testament to the importance of Dr. Guo's work and the caliber of the competitive health research—that is being recognized at a national level—conducted at North Dakota State University," said NDSU President Dean L. Bresciani. "It's one more example of how serious our scientists are about finding solutions that make a difference in people's lives."

"Dr. Guo's approach to finding a more effective and efficient treatment for colorectal cancer is creative and innovative," said NDSU College of Health Professions Dean Charles Peterson. "This is another milestone in a stellar career that has already contributed new, valuable knowledge to the fight against cancer, and we're excited to see the results of the next phase."

Peixuan Guo, professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Kentucky, is the co-investigator on the project. He pioneered the concept of RNA nanotechnology in 1998. The team also includes Yarong Yang, NDSU assistant professor of statistics, and Dr. Piotr Rychahou, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Kentucky.

According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed and is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States.