A new way to fight advanced prostate cancer
Official title: Explore a novel therapeutic approach in advanced prostate cancer
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11284420 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A small NIH-funded project tests a novel approach to slow or stop advanced prostate cancer that has stopped responding to standard hormone therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $399,187 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA296691-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11284420 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with advanced prostate cancer, especially those whose disease progressed despite hormone therapies.
✕Less likely to help
There is no direct benefit to patients in this early-stage project, and no patient treatment is provided in this grant.
What this research studies
If you have advanced prostate cancer that isn’t responding well to current treatments, this study looks for new ways to target how the cancer cells survive. Researchers will examine how a protein called AR is controlled by other cellular machines and how this may create new opportunities to slow tumor growth. The work focuses on mechanisms inside cancer cells and uses cell models to explore potential targets that could be treated in the future. It’s an early-stage project that could lead to new ideas for therapies if the targets prove important. Participation would depend on future steps and is not a current enrollment trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could uncover targets for future therapies that make resistant prostate cancer more treatable.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked AR signaling and protein modifications to prostate cancer, with some approaches showing promise in preclinical models.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fu, Zheng — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Fu, Zheng
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Modulating Androgen Signals to Boost CAR T Therapy for Prostate Cancer
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This grant looks at how a patient’s tumor and germline DNA could predict which targeted or immune therapies will work best for advanced prostate cancer.
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DACH1-based test to predict therapy response in advanced prostate cancer
A new test using DACH1 and other markers on prostate cancer tissue aims to predict which patients will respond to therapy and guide clinical trials.
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Understanding how doctors choose treatments to improve advanced prostate cancer care
A clinician-researcher at Duke is exploring how medical decisions are made in advanced prostate cancer to help patients get better, fairer care.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.