The University of Texas at Dallas announced that Dr. Yi Li, assistant professor of bioengineering, received two Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grants totaling more than $890,000 to support research on solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), a rare cancer driven by the NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion. Li’s research focuses on developing antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies that selectively target the cancer-causing fusion gene while using advanced cell and animal models to evaluate treatment effectiveness and identify combination therapy strategies. The funding will help establish Li’s laboratory, accelerate the development of targeted therapies for rare cancers, and advance UT Dallas’ contributions to precision oncology research.
