Cycling testosterone to boost the immune attack on prostate cancer
Androgen Activation of Innate Immune Signaling to Enhance Prostate Cancer Immune Response
Researchers look at whether rapidly cycling testosterone levels can trigger immune defenses that help men with castration-resistant prostate cancer, especially those whose tumors have DNA repair problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11286816 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work focuses on bipolar androgen therapy (BAT), which rapidly alternates very high and very low testosterone levels, to see how high testosterone causes DNA breaks that are routed into autophagosomes. Scientists will track how that autophagosomal DNA activates cellular immune sensors such as cGAS‑STING and RIG‑I and how those signals might recruit innate and adaptive immune cells. The team will use laboratory models and analyses of tumor samples, with particular attention to cancers that have defects in DNA repair. The goal is to identify when BAT provokes an immune response so it can be combined with other treatments and targeted to patients most likely to benefit.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Men with castration-resistant prostate cancer, particularly those whose tumors show DNA repair defects, are the primary candidates for relevance to this work.
Not a fit: Patients without castration-resistant disease, those whose tumors have intact DNA repair, or people who cannot safely undergo testosterone cycling are unlikely to benefit from these findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could make BAT more effective and help identify which men with resistant prostate cancer are most likely to respond, improving treatment options.
How similar studies have performed: Early clinical and laboratory reports have shown that BAT can shrink tumors in some men and provoke immune activity, but the precise molecular mechanisms and the role of DNA repair defects remain relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kachhap, Sushant Krishna — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Kachhap, Sushant Krishna
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.