Combining targeted radioligand therapy with immunotherapy for advanced prostate cancer
Project 1-Combination Immunotherapy with Radioligned Therapy for Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Seeing if adding targeted radioligand therapy to immunotherapy helps men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer by boosting the immune attack on tumors.
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 ID | NIH-11181251 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive a targeted radioligand that seeks prostate cancer cells (like 177Lu-PSMA) together with immune checkpoint drugs while doctors collect tumor biopsies and blood samples. Researchers will use single-cell RNA sequencing and other lab tests to track how immune cells and myeloid cells in the tumor respond. The team aims to find a radioligand type and timing that primes new anti-tumor T cells without triggering immune-suppressing cells. Results could guide safer, more effective combination schedules for future patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer whose tumors express PSMA and who are eligible for radioligand therapy and immunotherapy.
Not a fit: Patients without PSMA-expressing tumors, with contraindications to immunotherapy or radioligand therapy, or who cannot undergo biopsies may not benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could make immunotherapy work better for men whose prostate cancer no longer responds to hormone therapy.
How similar studies have performed: Targeted radioligand therapy such as 177Lu-PSMA-617 has shown benefit in metastatic prostate cancer, but combining it with immunotherapy is a newer approach still under active testing.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fong, Lawrence — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Fong, Lawrence
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 below.