ICMR grants Rs 65 lakh project to PU Professor for breast cancer drug research
Prof. Ranju Bansal to lead three-year study on novel steroidal molecules to tackle therapy resistance
City Air News
Feb 13, 2026 10:54
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Chandigarh, February 13, 2026: The Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR), New Delhi, has awarded a prestigious research project worth Rs 65 lakh to Professor Ranju Bansal of the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, for developing novel steroidal drug molecules to treat breast cancer.
Breast cancer is a serious health problem across the world. Many women are treated with medicines that block or reduce female hormones after menopause. These medicines often work well at first. Over time, the cancer may stop responding to treatment. This makes the disease harder to control. At present, there is no approved medicine that can tackle this problem in a single treatment. This creates a major gap in breast cancer care.
The three-year project will focus on designing and developing steroidal drug candidates aimed at overcoming resistance mechanisms. Prof. Bansal will work with co-investigators Dr Simran Preet and Dr A. K. Rengan. The compounds will be tested across multiple cancer cell lines using established biological assays and validated in animal models to examine potency and efficacy.
Prof. Bansal, a senior medicinal chemist at Panjab University, has nearly three decades of experience in anticancer drug design and development. Her earlier work led to the discovery of potent steroidal and non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors with nanomolar activity, reported to be more potent than Exemestane, and secured through international patents in the United States, Europe and Japan.
She received advanced training in cell culture-based biological assays during her Commonwealth Fellowship at the University of Strathclyde. She is also leading another ICMR-funded project on the development of anti-Alzheimer steroidal molecules.
Her team has completed several major projects supported by UGC, DST and HSCST. The latest grant adds to the ongoing research efforts at Panjab University aimed at addressing critical public health challenges.
