# Targeted Depalmitoylation for the Treatment of NRas-Driven Melanoma

> **NIH NIH R43** · PALM THERAPEUTICS, INC. · 2021 · $123,722

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Significance: Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and represents a growing economic burden and
health concern in the U.S. While early-stage melanoma can often be treated surgically, therapies for advanced
forms of the disease are severely lacking. As rates of melanoma continue to rise, it is imperative that we develop
novel and effective treatments for this disease. The most aggressive form of melanoma results from a mutation
in the small GTPase NRas and presents in 20% of patients. While NRas is an attractive therapeutic target in
melanoma, it has proven notoriously difficult to drug due to the lack of suitable binding pockets on its surface.
This limitation has prevented the development of NRas-targeted therapies. Objective: To address the unmet
need for NRas-targeted drugs, we will target a previously overlooked region of NRas, the S-palmitoylation of its
C-terminal hypervariable region. Numerous studies have confirmed that NRas palmitoylation is required for its
cancer signaling activity. To exploit this feature of NRas, we have developed a novel class of Depalmitoylating
Molecules (DPALMs) which chemoselectively cleave S-palmitoyl groups from proteins in live cells. Preliminary
Data: We have identified a set of DPALM lead compounds which preferentially depalmitoylate NRas in living
cells. Furthermore, we found that DPALMs can inhibit downstream Ras signaling pathways and preferentially kill
NRas-mutant versus non-NRas-mutant cell lines, highlighting their therapeutic potential. Specific Aims: We will
optimize the potency and selectivity of our lead compounds to generate a DPALM suitable for preclinical testing
and IND enabling studies. In SPECIFIC AIM 1, we will generate a set of optimized DPALMs using joint synthesis
and screening efforts. A modular and robust synthetic strategy will be used to generate new compounds which
will then be screened for NRas depalmitoylation activity and selectivity in a validated assay. In SPECIFIC AIM
2, we will evaluate the efficacy of optimized DPALMs in NRas-driven melanoma cell lines. Compounds will be
tested for their ability to preferentially inhibit growth and induce cell death in NRas-driven versus control cell
lines. The proposed studies will enable the development of a highly NRas-selective DPALM and accelerate the
commercialization of this targeted therapy for the treatment of melanoma and several other cancers with high
rates of NRas-mutations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10320690
- **Project number:** 3R43CA250702-01A1S1
- **Recipient organization:** PALM THERAPEUTICS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Neal Krishna Devaraj
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $123,722
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-21 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10320690

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10320690, Targeted Depalmitoylation for the Treatment of NRas-Driven Melanoma (3R43CA250702-01A1S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10320690. Licensed CC0.

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