KU Cancer Center eyes two scholars

The Kansas Bioscience Authority is looking to spend more than $1.6 million to bring two drug researchers to the Kansas University Cancer Center.

Both scientists will come with more than $500,000 worth of National Cancer Institute funding, which will aid the KU Cancer Center in its quest to gain NCI designation.

On Tuesday, the KBA’s investment committee recommended spending $780,000 over three years to bring to KU Liang Xu, an assistant professor of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan Health System.

Xu is studying ways to make cancer cells more receptive to radiation and chemotherapy through molecular cell signaling. He is also researching ways to use nanotechnology to change molecules so cancer cells die. A third area of his work looks at methods to deliver drugs that kill cancer stem cells, which start the growth of cancer tumors.

The KBA also recommended spending $850,000 over five years to bring to KU Daotai Nie, an associate professor in the medical microbiology, immunology and cell biology department at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Nie’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of breast and prostate cancer cell growth, which are important in developing drugs.

Both Xu and Nie fall under the KBA’s Rising Star program, which is used to attract and retain top-notch bioscience scholars to Kansas.

The investment committee’s recommendations will be passed on to the entire KBA board, which will meet next July 26.