A newly discovered heavily methylated form of advanced prostate cancer
Official title: Project 2 - Investigating Clinical and Biological Implications of a Novel Hypermethylated Subtype of Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC)
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11181255 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at a newly found heavily methylated type of advanced prostate cancer to find markers and possible weak points for treatment in men with metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 2, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $528,915 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA275741-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181255 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are men with metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer who can provide tumor tissue or join consortium clinics for molecular profiling.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with localized prostate cancer or who do not have the CMP methylation pattern are less likely to benefit directly from this specific project.
What this research studies
This project focuses on a subtype of metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) defined by widespread DNA methylation changes called the CpG methylator phenotype (CMP). Researchers used whole‑genome bisulfite sequencing on tumor samples from men with mCRPC and found CMP in about 22% of cases. The team will study what drives this methylation pattern, search for biomarkers that could predict outcome or treatment response, and look for therapeutic vulnerabilities that might be targeted. If you have advanced prostate cancer, this work could help identify whether your tumor fits this subtype and inform future treatment options.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biomarkers and new treatment targets specific to a common methylated subtype of advanced prostate cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Genome‑wide methylation profiling has informed care in other cancers and epigenetic drugs exist, but the CMP subtype in mCRPC is newly described and not yet established as a treatment target.
Where this research is happening
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University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Small, Eric J — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Small, Eric J
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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.