Houston team uses CPRIT funding to develop nanodrug for cancer immunotherapy

cancer research

Wei Gao (center), a UH assistant professor of pharmacology, and her team have developed Nano-273, which helps the immune system fight pancreatic and lung cancers. Photo courtesy UH.

With a relative five-year survival rate of 50 percent, pancreatic cancer is a diagnosis nobody wants. At 60 percent, the prognosis for lung cancer isn’t much rosier. That’s because both cancers contain regulatory B cells (Bregs), which block the body’s natural immunity, making it harder to fight the enemies within.

Newly popular immunotherapies in a category known as STING agonists may stimulate natural cancer defenses. However, they can also increase Bregs while simultaneously causing significant side effects. But Wei Gao, assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy, may have a solution to that conundrum.

Gao and her team have developed Nano-273, a dual-function drug, packaged in an albumin-based particle, that boosts the immune system to help it better fight pancreatic and lung cancers. Gao’s lab recently received a $900,000 grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to aid in fueling her research into the nanodrug.

“Nano-273 both activates STING and blocks PI3Kγ—a pathway that drives Breg expansion, while albumin nanoparticles help deliver the drug directly to immune cells, reducing unwanted side effects,” Gao said in a press release. “This approach reduces harmful Bregs while boosting immune cells that attack cancer, leading to stronger and more targeted anti-tumor responses.”

In studies using models of both pancreatic and lung cancers, Nano-273 has shown great promise with low toxicity. Its best results thus far have involved using the drug in combination with immunotherapy or chemotherapy.

With the CPRIT funds, Gao and her team will be able to charge closer to clinical use with a series of important steps. Those include continuing to test Nano-273 alongside other drugs, including immune checkpoint inhibitors. Safety studies will follow, but with future patients in mind, Gao will also work toward improving her drug’s production, making sure that it’s safe and high-quality every time, so that it is eventually ready for trials.

Gao added: “If successful, this project could lead to a new type of immunotherapy that offers lasting tumor control and improved survival for patients with pancreatic and lung cancers, two diseases that urgently need better treatments."

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Here's the top innovation news to know right now. Photo via Getty Images

5 Houston suburbs among top places to retire and more innovation news

Trending Topics

Editor's note: It's time to look back on the top Houston innovation news in recent weeks. From Houston's most valuable startups right now to the top places to retire in 2026, here are the most-read InnovationMap stories from November 16-30:

1. U.S. News names 5 Houston suburbs as the best places to retire in 2026

The Woodlands is the No. 4 best place to retire. Photo courtesy of Visit The Woodlands

Houston-area suburbs should be on the lookout for an influx of retirees in 2026. A new study by U.S. News and World Report has declared The Woodlands and Spring as the fourth and fifth best cities to retire in America, with three other local cities making the top 25. Continue reading.

2. 3 Houston companies land on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 list

Three Houston companies ranked on Deloitte's annual list, with two cracking the top 100. Photo via Getty Images

Three Houston companies have made this year’s Deloitte North America Technology Fast 500 list. The report ranks the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America. The top Houston company to make the list is Action1 Corp., No. 16, a provider of cybersecurity software. Continue reading.

3. Houston’s 10 most valuable startups revealed in new report

Houston's top startups by valuation range from e-commerce startups to a geothermal pioneer. Photo via Getty Images

The Greater Houston Partnership has released its list of the 10 most valuable startups that are fueling the city’s growth and entrepreneurial energy, including industry giants like Axiom Space and Fervo Energy. The list ranks its top 10 startups by valuation based on the company’s last private funding round, reflected in Pitchbook data, as of October 20 of this year. Continue reading.

4. Houston scores $120M in new cancer research and prevention grants

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has doled out 73 more grants to health care systems and companies in the state. Carter Smith/Courtesy of MD Anderson

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has granted more than $120 million to Houston organizations and companies as part of 73 new awards issued statewide. The funds are part of nearly $154 million approved by the CPRIT's governing board earlier this month, bringing the organization's total investment in cancer prevention and research to more than $4 billion since its inception. Continue reading.

5. Photos: Highlights from the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards

Congratulations to the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards winners! Photo by Emily Jaschke

The 2025 Houston Innovation Awards season came to a close on November 13 at InnovationMap's annual awards program and networking event. A full house of attendees gathered to celebrate the best and brightest in Houston innovation right now. Continue reading.

Houston hospitals and universities have been granted millions from the CPRIT to advance cancer research and bring leading scientists to the state. Photo by Dwight C. Andrews/Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Texas institute grants $12M to bring leading cancer researchers to Houston

cha-ching

Rice University has recruited a prominent Swedish cancer researcher thanks to a $6 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

It’s among $68 million in research grants recently awarded by the state agency, and six recruitment grants totaling $16 million to bring leading cancer researchers to Texas.

A news release from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) describes Pernilla Wittung-Stafshede of the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, as “an accomplished and highly gifted biophysical scientist tackling complicated biological questions regarding the role of metals and metal dysregulation in various diseases. She pioneered a new research field around the role of metal ions in the folding and function of metalloproteins.”

Metalloproteins account for nearly half of all proteins in biology, according to the National Institutes of Health. They “catalyze some of the most difficult and yet important functions in [nature], such as photosynthesis and water oxidation,” the federal agency says.

Wittung-Stafshede, a professor of chemical biology and life sciences at Chalmers, is a former professor at Rice.

Aside from the money for Wittung-Stafshede, Houston recruitment grants also went to:

  • University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: $2 million to recruit Rosalie Griffin of the Mayo Clinic
  • Baylor College of Medicine: $2 million to recruit Dr. Nipun Verma of the Yale University School of Medicine
  • Baylor College of Medicine: $2 million to recruit Xin “Daniel” Gao of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

In Houston, cancer research grants were given to:

  • Baylor College of Medicine: $7.8 million
  • M.D. Anderson Cancer Center: $20.7 million
  • Rice University: $ 1 million
  • University of Houston: $1.2 million
  • University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston: $4.5 million

“The awards … represent the depth and diversity of CPRIT funding for cancer research in Texas,” says Kristen Doyle, CEO of CPRIT. “These grants develop new approaches to preventing, diagnosing, treating, and surviving cancer for all Texans.”

See the full list of awards here.

Here's what Houston organizations are benefitting from the latest CPRIT funding announcement. Photo via Getty Images

Houston organizations snag chunk of recently announced $49M cancer research grant funding

show me the money

Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine is beefing up its team of cancer researchers.

The college just received $6 million from the state agency Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to recruit three cancer researchers: Graham Erwin, Michael Robertson and Dr. Varun Venkataramani. Each researcher is getting $2 million.

In addition, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center snagged a $2 million CPRIT grant to recruit Simon Eschweiler.

In all, CPRIT recently announced $49 million in cancer research and prevention grants, including nearly $24 million for recruitment of cancer researchers.

Here’s a rundown of the recruitment grants awarded in Houston:

  • Graham Erwin. Erwin is a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University’s Stanford Cancer Institute. He’s a biologist who specializes in DNA sequencing related to the development of cancer therapeutics and diagnostics.
  • Michael Robertson. Robertson also is a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford. He focuses on molecular and cellular physiology at Stanford’s medical school.
  • Dr. Varun Venkataramani. Venkataramani, a neuroscientist, is a brain tumor researcher at University Hospital Heidelberg, one of the largest hospitals in Germany.
  • Simon Eschweiler. Eschweiler is a research assistant professor at Southern California’s La Jolla Institute for Immunology. He specializes in immunotherapy for cancer patients.

Aside from the recruitment grants, three institutions in the Houston area received nearly $6 million in funding for cancer treatment and prevention programs. Here’s an overview of those grants:

  • Almost $2.5 million for expansion of a program at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston that supplies HPV vaccinations for new mothers.
  • Nearly $2.5 million for an MD Anderson program that promotes physical activity for cancer survivors.
  • Almost $500,000 for an MD Anderson program to increase treatment of tobacco users who are participating in opioid treatment programs.
  • Nearly $500,000 for a University of Houston program designed to help LGBTQ+ Texans lead tobacco-free lives.

“From new research programs, recruitment of preeminent scientists to Texas, pilot studies, new technology, and expanding the reach of successful cancer prevention programs, [the] grants highlight the effect CPRIT is having on not just cancer research and prevention efforts, but on life science infrastructure in Texas,” Wayne Roberts, the organization’s CEO, said in a news release.

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas recently announced fresh funding for cancer researchers, and Houston organizations received more than 40 percent of it. Photo via Getty Images

Here's what Houston cancer researchers secured fresh funding from Texas nonprofit

grants incoming

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) has awarded around $40 million in grants to cancer researchers and cancer research institutions in the Houston area.

The Houston-area grants represent more than 40 percent of the statewide grants recently approved by Austin-based CPRIT.

The largest local grant, $6 million, went to Hongfang Liu and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The grant helped attract Liu to UTHealth Houston. She is a pioneer in biomedical informatics, an emerging field in cancer research.

Liu comes to Houston from the Mayo Clinic. At UTHealth Houston, she will be director of the Center for Translational Artificial Intelligence in Medicine within the School of Biomedical Informatics as well as vice president for learning health systems.

In a news release, Dr. Giuseppe Colasurdo, president of UTHealth Houston, says the recruitment of Lui “will strategically enhance the position of Texas as a national and international leader in data science, artificial intelligence, and informatics applications in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer.”

Other CPRIT grant recipients at UTHealth Houston were:

  • Lara Savas — $2,499,492 for early detection and treatment of breast and cervical cancer among Latinas
  • Chao Hsing Yeh — $1,046,680 for an acupressure program to help patients manage cancer-related pain
  • Belinda Reininger — $999,254 for a lifestyle intervention program in South Texas
  • Paula Cuccaro — $449,959 for a targeted approach to boosting HPV vaccinations

What follows is a rundown of other CPRIT grant recipients in the Houston area.

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

  • Kenneth Hu — $2 million to recruit him as a first-time, tenure-track faculty member
  • Dr. Kelly Nelson — $1,998,196 to support a program for early detection of melanoma
  • Robert Volk — $1,988,211 for a lung cancer screening program
  • Jian Hu — $1.4 million for research into brain and spinal cord tumors in children
  • Die Zhang — $1,399,730 for research into cognitive issues caused by radiation treatment
  • Peng Wei — $1,199,994 for research into the evolution of bladder cancer
  • Boyi Gan — $1,050,000 for the study of cell death in breast cancer patients
  • Sue-Hwa Lin — $1,050,000 for a novel immunotherapy to treat the spread of prostate cancer to the bones
  • Joseph McCarty — $1,050,000 for research into invasive cells in patients with brain or spinal cord tumors
  • Cullen Taniguchi — $1,049,997 for the study of immune responses related to pancreatic cancer
  • Dr. Andrea Viale — $1,049,985 for the study of immune responses related to pancreatic cancer
  • Michael Curran —$1,049,905 for research into blocking DNA damage related to radiation therapy and immunotherapy
  • Wantong Yao — $1,049,854 for research into a novel therapy for pancreatic cancer
  • Eleonora Dondossola — $1,025,623 for the study of therapy resistance among certain patients with prostate or kidney cancer
  • Niki Zacharias Millward — $1,019,997 for the study of a type of kidney cancer that begins in the lining of small tubes inside the organ

Baylor College of Medicine

  • Xi Chen — $2 million for the study of immunotherapy resistance among some breast cancer patients
  • Melanie Bernhardt — $1,392,407 for research aimed at improving treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children
  • Pavel Sumazin — $1,371,733 for research into hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer
  • Maksim Mamonkin — $1,050,000 for improving treatment of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma

University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

  • Ana Rodriguez — $2,257,898 for an HPV vaccination program in the Rio Grande Valley

Houston Methodist Research Institute

  • Ewan McRae — $1,999,977 to recruit him to Houston from the United Kingdom’s Cambridge University as an expert in RNA therapeutics

University of Houston

  • Lorraine Reitzel — $448,726 for lung cancer screening programs
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Houston booms as No. 2 U.S. metro for new home construction

Construction Boom

Driven by population growth, more residential rooftops are popping up across Houston and the rest of Texas than anywhere else in America.

Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Zillow, Construction Coverage found 65,747 new residential units were authorized in greater Houston in 2024. That figure landed Houston in second place among major metro areas for the total number of housing permits, including those for single-family homes, apartments, and condos.

Just ahead of Houston was the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which took first place with 71,788 residential permits approved in 2024. In third place was the country’s largest metro, New York City (57,929 permits).Elsewhere in Texas, the Austin metro ranked sixth (32,294 permits), and the San Antonio metro ranked 20th (14,857 permits).

Construction Coverage also sorted major metro areas based on the number of new housing units authorized per 1,000 existing homes in 2024. Raleigh, North Carolina, held the No. 1 spot (28.8 permits per 1,000 existing homes), followed by Austin at No. 2 (28.6), DFW at No. 3 (22.2), Houston at No. 4 (21.6), and San Antonio at No. 13 (13.6).

A Newsweek analysis of Census Bureau data shows building permits for 225,756 new residential units were approved in 2024 in Texas — a trend fueled largely by activity in DFW, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. That put Texas atop the list of states building the most residential units for the year.

Through the first eight months of last year, 145,901 permits for new residential units were approved in Texas, according to Census Bureau data. That’s nearly 80,000 permits shy of the 2024 total.

Among the states, Construction Coverage ranks Texas sixth for the number of residential building permits approved in 2024 per 1,000 existing homes (17.9).

Extra housing is being built in Texas to meet demand spurred by population growth. From April 2020 to July 2024, the state’s population increased 7.3 percent, the Census Bureau says.

While builders are busy constructing new housing in Texas, they’re not necessarily profiting a lot from homebuilding activity.

“Market conditions remain challenging, with two-thirds of builders reporting they are offering incentives to move buyers off the fence,” North Carolina homebuilder Buddy Hughes, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders, said in a December news release. “Meanwhile, builders are contending with rising material and labor prices, as tariffs are having serious repercussions on construction costs.”

5+ must-know application deadlines for Houston innovators

apply now

Editor's note: As 2026 ramps up, the Houston innovation scene is looking for the latest groups of innovative startups that'll make an impact. A number of accelerators and competitions have opened applications. Read below to see which might be a good fit for you or your venture. And take careful note of the deadlines. Please note: this article may be updated to include additional information and programs.

Did we miss an accelerator or competition accepting applications? Email innoeditor@innovationmap.com for editorial consideration.

2026 HCC Business Plan Competition

Deadline: Jan. 26

Details: HCC’s annual Business Plan Competition (BPC) is an opportunity for proposed, startup and existing entrepreneurs to develop focused plans to start or grow their businesses. Accepted teams will be announced and training will begin in late February and run through early June, with six free, three-hour training sessions. Advising will be provided to each accepted team. Applicants can apply as a team of up to five persons. Finalists will present to to gudges on May 27, 2026. Last year, $26,000 was awarded in seed money to the top five teams. In-kind prizes were also awarded to all graduating teams including free products, services and memberships, with an estimated in-kind value totaling $147,000. Find more information here.

University of Houston Technology Bridge Innov8 Hub (Spring 2026)

Deadline: Jan . 30

Details: UHTB Innov8 Hub’s immersive, 12-week startup acceleration program designed to help early-stage founders launch and scale their technology startups. Selected participants will gain access to expert mentors and advisors, collaborate with a cohort of peers, and compete for cash prizes during our final pitch event. The cohort begins Feb. 16, 2026. The program culminates in Pitch Day, where participants present their ventures to an audience of investors and partners from across the UH innovation ecosystem. Find more information here.

Rice Business Plan Competition 2026

Deadline: Jan. 31

Details: The Rice Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, gives collegiate entrepreneurs real-world experience to pitch their startups, enhance their business strategy and learn what it takes to launch a successful company. Forty-two teams will compete for more than $1 million in cash, investments and prizes on April 9-11, 2026. Find more information here.

Rice Veterans Business Battle 2026

Deadline: Jan. 31

Details: The Rice Veterans Business Battle is one of the nation’s largest pitch competitions for veteran-led startups, providing founders with mentorship, exposure to investors and the opportunity to compete for non-dilutive cash prizes. The event has led to more than $10 million of investments since it began in 2015. Teams will compete April 8-9, 2026. Find more information here.

TEX-E Fellows Application 2026-2027

Deadline: Feb. 10

Details: The TEX‑E Fellowship is a hands-on program designed for students interested in energy, climate, and entrepreneurship across Texas. It connects participants with industry mentors, startup founders, investors and academic leaders while providing practical, "real-world" experience in customer discovery, business modeling, and energy-transition innovation. Fellows gain access to workshops, real-world projects, and a statewide network shaping the future of energy and climate solutions. Participants must be a student at PVAMU, UH, UT Austin, Rice University, MIT or Texas A&M. Find more information here.

2026 Energy Venture Day & Pitch Competition

Deadline: Feb. 13

Details: The Rice Alliance, the Houston Energy Transition Initiative (HETI) and TEX-E will present the annual Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition during CERAWeek on March 24-25, 2026. Energy Venture Day features two days of presentations by energy tech ventures driving efficiency and advancements toward the energy transition. On March 24, the Pitch Preview at the Ion will feature over 50 companies presenting in front of Rice Alliance's robust network of investors and industry partners. On March 25, the Energy Venture Day and Pitch Competition during CERAWeek will showcase 36 ventures at the George R Brown Convention Center. The pitch competition is divided up into the TEX-E university track, in which Texas student-led energy startups compete for $50,000 in cash prizes, and the industry ventures track. The industry track is subdivided into three additional tracks, spanning materials to clean energy. The top three companies from each industry track will be named. The winner of the CERAWeek competition will also have the chance to advance and compete for the $1 million investment prize at the Startup World Cup. Find more information here.

Greentown Go Make 2026

Deadline: March 10

Details: Greentown Go Make 2026 is an open-innovation program with Shell and Technip Energies. The six-month program is advancing industrial decarbonization by accelerating catalytic innovations. Selected startups will gain access to a structured platform to engage leadership from Shell and Technip Energies and explore potential partnership outcomes, including pilots and demonstrations. They’ll also receive networking opportunities, partnership-focused programming, and marketing visibility throughout the program. The cohort will be selected in May. Find more information here.

Houston startups closed $1.75 billion in 2025 VC funding, says report

by the numbers

Going against national trends, Houston-area startups raised 7 percent less venture capital last year than they did in 2024, according to the new PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor report.

The report shows local startups collected $1.75 billion in venture capital in 2025, down from $1.89 billion the previous year.

Houston-based geothermal energy company Fervo Energy received a big chunk of the region’s VC funding last year. Altogether, the startup snagged $562 million in investments, as well as a $60 million extension of an existing loan and $45.6 million in debt financing. The bulk of the 2025 haul was a $462 million Series E round.

In the fourth quarter of last year, Houston-area VC funding totaled $627.68 million. That was a 22 percent drop from $765.03 million during the same period in 2024. Still, the Q4 total was the biggest quarterly total in 2025.

Across the country, startups picked up $339.4 trillion in VC funding last year, a 59 percent increase from $213.2 trillion in 2024, according to the report. Over the last 10 years, only the VC total in 2021 ($358.2 trillion) surpassed the total from 2025.

Nationwide, startups in the artificial intelligence and machine learning sector accounted for the biggest share of VC funding (65.4 percent) in 2025, followed by software-as-a-service (SaaS), big data, manufacturing, life sciences and healthtech, according to the report.

“Despite an overall lack of new fundraising and a liquidity market that did not shape up as hoped in 2025, deal activity has begun a phase of regrowth, with deal count estimates showing increases at each stage, and deal value, though concentrated in a small number of deals, falling just [8 percent] short of the 2021 figure,” the report reads.

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