Dana‑Farber/Harvard Prostate Cancer Program
DF/HCC Prostate SPORE
Researchers at Dana‑Farber and Harvard are developing new tests and treatments for different stages of prostate cancer, from predicting aggressive early tumors to new combination therapies for treatment‑resistant disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11182635 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This program brings together clinical, basic, and population scientists to tackle key problems in prostate cancer. One project studies tumor samples from men treated before surgery to learn how cancers respond or become resistant to strong hormone‑blocking therapies. Another project is developing drugs that target the cancer epigenome and plans a first‑in‑field clinical trial combining EZH2 and PARP inhibitors for advanced, castration‑resistant prostate cancer. A third project uses new computational and deep‑learning methods to find biomarkers that predict which localized cancers will behave aggressively, and the SPORE supports shared cores and pilot studies to speed translation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants include men with high‑risk localized prostate cancer (especially those getting pre‑surgery/neoadjuvant therapy), men with advanced castration‑resistant prostate cancer considering trial treatments, and patients willing to donate tumor samples or clinical data for biomarker work.
Not a fit: Men without prostate cancer or those with very low‑risk disease unlikely to undergo additional testing or treatment may not see direct benefits from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could give patients better tools to predict aggressive prostate cancer and new treatment options for cancers that no longer respond to standard hormone therapy.
How similar studies have performed: Components build on prior successes such as PARP inhibitor activity and emerging epigenetic targets, but the specific EZH2+PARP combination and the integrated deep‑learning biomarker approach are relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Dana-Farber Cancer Inst — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beltran, Himisha — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Beltran, Himisha
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.