Huang Lab Awarded American Cancer Society EDS Accelerator Grant to Advance Preclinical Development of PH102 for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — The Huang Lab at UT Health San Antonio has received a competitive Extramural Discovery Science (EDS) Accelerator Award from the American Cancer Society to support the preclinical advancement of PH102, an Immune Triad Therapy with an Armed CAR T-cell Supercharger (IT-ACTS) designed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The grant provides $75,000 in support of focused derisking studies that will guide the platform toward clinical translation and commercialization.
This award recognizes technologies with strong commercial potential and supports key experiments that help bridge academic discovery and product development. The Huang Lab is partnering with Powerhouse Therapeutics, a biotechnology company founded to spin out and advance this therapeutic platform. The grant will accelerate work that strengthens the scientific and commercial readiness of PH102 as Powerhouse Therapeutics prepares it for future licensing, regulatory development, and eventual clinical testing.
“We are grateful to the American Cancer Society for supporting technologies that can reshape how we treat liver cancer,” said Dr. Gang Huang, Principal Investigator. “HCC remains a devastating disease with limited treatment options. This award helps us validate PH102 and move it closer to the patients who need it.”
“This award is a powerful external endorsement of the science behind PH102,” said Vincent Pham, CEO of Powerhouse Therapeutics. “Independent validation from the American Cancer Society strengthens our momentum as we advance this platform toward clinical development.”
The funded project, “Preclinical Derisking of PH102: An Immune Triad Therapy with Armed CAR T-cell Supercharger (IT-ACTS) for HCC,” positions PH102 at the intersection of scientific innovation and entrepreneurial translation. The EDS Accelerator program supports investigators committed to bringing new cancer technologies to market, and it places the Huang Lab among a select group of researchers recognized by the American Cancer Society for work with transformative potential.
Grant #: EDS-26-1541279-01-EDS ACC 3rd-Su25
About the Huang Lab
The Huang Lab at UT Health San Antonio is a basic and translational cancer research group within the MD Anderson Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. Our team integrates hematology and solid tumor biology with immunology and metabolism to uncover mechanisms and design interventions. We advance cell and biologic therapies, including CAR T‑cell approaches for solid tumors. We also conduct research in trauma and military health. We move discoveries toward clinical impact through product development and collaborations with clinicians and industry. Education and mentorship are core to our mission. We train students, postdoctoral fellows, and early‑career scientists in rigorous, multidisciplinary research. Together, we aim to deliver therapies and technologies that improve patient outcomes.