Boosting CAR T cell therapy for advanced prostate cancer by blocking androgen signals
Official title: Project 3: Modulating Androgen Receptor Signaling to Enhance the Efficacy of CAR T Cell Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11181530 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether blocking androgen receptor signals can help a new STEAP1-targeted CAR T‑cell therapy work better for men with advanced, treatment‑resistant prostate cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2002 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $237,841 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA097186-24 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181530 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be men with metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer, especially those whose tumors express the STEAP1 antigen and who are eligible for adoptive cell therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without STEAP1 expression, those with earlier-stage prostate cancer, or people who cannot tolerate cellular therapy or androgen‑modifying treatments are unlikely to benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
If I have advanced prostate cancer, this project is developing a CAR T cell therapy that targets a protein called STEAP1 found on many lethal prostate tumors. The team has shown the STEAP1 CAR T cells kill prostate cancer cells and appear safe in animal and human‑xenograft models. They plan to combine CAR T cells with approaches that lower or block androgen receptor signaling because male hormones can suppress immune responses. The goal is to move the best approaches toward a first‑in‑human trial for men with metastatic castration‑resistant prostate cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a new, more effective immunotherapy option that produces deeper and longer responses in men with advanced prostate cancer.
How similar studies have gone: CAR T therapies have been highly successful in blood cancers but remain experimental in solid tumors, and STEAP1‑targeted CAR T combined with androgen receptor modulation is a novel, mostly preclinical approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, John Kyung — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Lee, John Kyung
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
A new approach uses CAR T cells targeting STEAP1 to treat advanced prostate cancer, with a focus on how androgen signals affect treatment effectiveness.
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Drug that blocks tumor-made male hormones and the androgen receptor for advanced prostate cancer
A new medicine aims to block both the androgen receptor and the tumor’s own production of male hormones to help men with advanced, treatment‑resistant prostate cancer.
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Boosting a tumor-suppressing enzyme to fight advanced prostate cancer
A research grant aims to develop new molecules that enhance the PP2A enzyme to slow or stop progression of advanced prostate cancer.
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Genomic clues to guide therapy in advanced prostate cancer
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.