Better tests to spot aggressive prostate cancer
Official title: Core-Biomarker Development Laboratory
Funded at Old Dominion University · NIH-11191538 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops urine and tissue tests to help find which men with early prostate cancer are likely to have aggressive disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Old Dominion University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Norfolk, United States) |
| Project start | September 2, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $99,893 |
| NIH project number | 5U2CCA271894-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11191538 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with newly diagnosed localized prostate cancer who can provide urine or tissue samples, including men with BRCA2 variants or suspicious MRI findings, are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without prostate cancer, men with widely metastatic disease, or those unwilling/unable to provide samples are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would be asked to provide urine and, when available, tumor tissue so researchers can look for molecular signals linked to aggressive prostate cancer. The team will use proteogenomic methods to discover candidate biomarkers in prostate fluids and tumors and then validate those markers in existing patient cohorts. They plan three aims: confirm urine markers for grade progression, create markers to find high-grade cancers that MRI misses, and refine risk estimates for men with harmful BRCA2 variants. The lab will build standardized assays and decision algorithms that could be used in clinics.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these tests could help doctors better distinguish men who need immediate treatment from those safe for monitoring, reducing unnecessary treatments and missed aggressive cancers.
How similar studies have gone: Prior urine- and tissue-based biomarker studies have shown promise and proteogenomics is an emerging approach, but this project aims to validate and combine markers in new, clinically focused ways.
Where this research is happening
-
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Boutros, Paul Christopher — Old Dominion University
- Study coordinator: Boutros, Paul Christopher
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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.