Enhancer RNA CYP11A1-eRNA in castration-resistant prostate cancer
Official title: A novel enhancer RNA in castration-resistant prostate cancer
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11452128 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing a new RNA-based target, CYP11A1-eRNA, to see if blocking it can hamper the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer in the lab and animal models.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | July 16, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $399,829 |
| NIH project number | 1R21CA307443-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452128 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with or at risk for prostate cancer, particularly those with castration-resistant disease in future translational contexts, though this grant itself is a preclinical study.
✕Less likely to help
People without prostate cancer or without CRPC-related biology are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical work.
What this research studies
This program focuses on a novel enhancer RNA called CYP11A1-eRNA that may drive androgen receptor activity in castration-resistant prostate cancer. The study will use cellular and possibly animal models to knock down this RNA and observe effects on AR target genes and cancer cell growth, especially when androgens are limited. By understanding how CYP11A1-eRNA promotes transcription elongation and AR signaling, the work aims to identify a potential new therapeutic approach for CRPC. The project will explore mechanisms like RNA polymerase II pause release and P-TEFb recruitment to reveal how this RNA influences cancer progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new RNA-based strategies to slow or stop progression of castration-resistant prostate cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies of enhancer RNAs and AR signaling have shown that targeting regulatory RNAs can modulate cancer growth, supporting potential benefit but remaining exploratory here.
Where this research is happening
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University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qi, Jianfei — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Qi, Jianfei
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.
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Targeted Immunostimulatory Dual Drug Conjugates for Heterogeneous Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Researchers are testing a targeted therapy approach to help people with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer by boosting the immune system and delivering drugs directly to cancer cells.
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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.
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Stopping therapy-resistant prostate cancer by blocking FOXA2 and AP-1
This research looks at whether blocking a protein switch called FOXA2 and its partner AP‑1 can stop or reverse prostate cancers that no longer respond to hormone therapy.
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.