Helping immunotherapy work for metastatic prostate cancer
Official title: Project 2: Re-directing the Sensitivity of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer to Immunotherapy
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11181018 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new antibody aims to help men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer respond to immunotherapy by blocking an immune-suppressing molecule released by tumors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | August 18, 2015 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $360,000 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA180995-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181018 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, particularly those with bone metastases and prior standard therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with localized prostate cancer, non-castration-resistant disease, or tumors that do not release the sMIC immune-suppressing molecule are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
My cancer makes a molecule called sMIC that weakens the immune system and helps tumors hide. Researchers created an antibody called huB10G5 to neutralize sMIC and tested it in lab and animal models. In those preclinical studies the antibody reduced metastases and boosted the effect of checkpoint immunotherapy while reducing some side effects. The antibody has been optimized for human use, shown safe in non-human primates, and the team is completing studies needed to begin human trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could restore immune attack on prostate tumors, improve responses to immunotherapy, and potentially shrink metastases or extend life.
How similar studies have gone: This sMIC-targeting approach is novel with strong preclinical success, but similar strategies have not yet demonstrated proven benefit in people with prostate cancer.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Jennifer — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Wu, Jennifer
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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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.
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Combination immunotherapy with radioligand therapy for metastatic prostate cancer
A study aims to help men with advanced prostate cancer by combining immune therapy with targeted radiation to boost the body’s own defense against cancer.
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.