Ceramide-based therapy targeting SMS1 to treat advanced prostate cancer
Official title: Inducing Apoptosis in Castration- Resistant Prostate Cancer by Targeting Sphingomyelin Synthase 1 for mono and combination therapy
Funded at Idaho State University · NIH-11401194 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach aims to slow or stop castration-resistant prostate cancer in men 65 and older by using molecules that mimic ceramide to block a key enzyme, potentially helping those whose cancer no longer responds to standard treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Idaho State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pocatello, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $138,411 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM159673-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401194 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men aged 65 and older with castration-resistant prostate cancer who have limited options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer does not respond to ceramide-mimicking therapies or who cannot tolerate the compounds may not benefit.
What this research studies
If you are an older man with aggressive prostate cancer, this project plans to test ceramide-mimicking compounds that block SMS1, an enzyme involved in ceramide metabolism. Researchers will optimize these compounds for drug-like properties and test their effects on cancer cells and animal models. The goal is to increase cancer cell death and enhance the impact of existing therapies. This work could pave the way for new treatment options for CRPC in older patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with resistant prostate cancer may have a new therapy that increases cancer cell death and works alongside current treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data show ceramide metabolism inhibitors can kill cancer cells in models, supporting further development.
Where this research is happening
-
Idaho State University
Pocatello, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pashikanti, Srinath — Idaho State University
- Study coordinator: Pashikanti, Srinath
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how aggressive cell states emerge in castration-resistant prostate cancer
A research project aims to uncover the hidden cell states that help prostate cancer resist standard therapy and how these states arise early in tumor development.
-
Enhancer RNA CYP11A1-eRNA in castration-resistant prostate cancer
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Targeted Immunostimulatory Dual Drug Conjugates for Heterogeneous Metastatic Prostate Cancer
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Androgen Receptor Action in Prostate Cancer that Stops Responding to Therapy
This grant supports research to understand why certain prostate cancers stop responding to AR-targeted therapies and to find new ways to target them.
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Hyperactive methylation in a hard-to-treat prostate cancer subtype
Researchers are studying a newly identified methylation-heavy group of advanced prostate cancer to understand its biology and find clues for better treatments.
-
Therapeutic Targeting of Lineage Plasticity in Advanced Prostate Cancer
A cancer research effort aimed at understanding and tackling how aggressive prostate cancers become resistant to standard AR-targeted therapies.
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.