University of Cincinnati cancer researcher Dr. Xiaoting Zhang is taking his breast cancer research beyond the lab through his startup, RNA Nanotherapeutics. The company aims to overcome one of oncology’s most pressing challenges—treatment resistance in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers.
As the John and Gladys Strauss Endowed Chair in Cancer Research and Director of UC’s Breast Cancer Research Program, Zhang has spent years studying how specific genes and proteins make breast cancers resistant to therapies like tamoxifen. His work led to the discovery of a key protein, MED1, that allows cancer cells to ignore treatment, and he has developed an RNA nanotechnology-based method to block this process.
Zhang’s research shows that MED1 levels are abnormally high in up to 60% of breast cancer cases and are linked to worse outcomes. By targeting MED1, Zhang and his team have found a way to prevent cancer cells from resisting tamoxifen, thereby allowing the drug to remain effective. Using multifunctional RNA nanoparticles, they have developed a delivery system that precisely targets cancer cells while avoiding healthy tissue. Preclinical studies have demonstrated vigorous tumor-specific activity, enhanced efficacy over current drugs, and no signs of toxicity—even at doses 10 times higher than necessary.
Building on these results, Zhang launched RNA Nanotherapeutics to move his discoveries toward clinical application. With expertise in cancer biology but limited business experience, Zhang sought guidance from the University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub—home to the Venture Lab and the UC Technology Transfer office. These programs provided mentorship, funding support, and guidance on intellectual property, helping transform Zhang’s academic research into a viable commercial venture.
The Venture Lab offered accelerator programming and startup support, while the Technology Transfer office helped secure patents and manage the commercialization process. Both resources, Zhang said, were instrumental in positioning RNA Nanotherapeutics for success.
RNA Nanotherapeutics has since gained momentum with multiple grants and recognitions. The company completed validation studies through Ohio’s Technology Validation and Startup Fund (TVSF) Phase I award and received investments from the state’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider (ESP) program and the National Cancer Institute’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant. Most recently, it earned Ohio’s Third Frontier TVSF Phase II award to accelerate commercialization.
Zhang has participated in UC’s NIH I-Corps program and completed Harvard Business School’s Leadership for Senior Executives program to strengthen his entrepreneurial skills.
Zhang envisions advancing RNA Nanotherapeutics’ therapy into clinical trials within five years and forming partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to scale production and distribution. His goal is to bring a new generation of breast cancer treatments to patients worldwide—therapies that are both more effective and less toxic than existing options.
KEY QUOTES:
“The combination of entrepreneurial training from the Venture Lab and intellectual property guidance from the Tech Transfer office has been instrumental in setting our company up for success.”
“If RNA Nanotherapeutics accomplishes its goal, it means our patients will have access to a new class of safer and more effective treatments right through existing pharmaceutical channels and medical practices. We expect to improve both treatment outcomes and quality of life at the same time for our patients and their families.”
Dr. Xiaoting Zhang of the University of Cincinnati and the founder of RNA Nanotherapeutic
