Hormone-lowering treatment plus targeted immunotherapy for prostate cancer
Official title: Project 2: Androgen deprivation as an immune modulating therapy in combination with targeted immunotherapy of prostate cancer
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11184189 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work combines hormone-lowering therapy with a vaccine that trains the immune system to attack prostate cancer cells for men with advanced prostate cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 1, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $366,237 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA269011-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11184189 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are men with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer who are receiving or eligible for androgen-deprivation (hormone-lowering) therapy and who can tolerate an immunotherapy regimen.
✕Less likely to help
People without prostate cancer, those who cannot receive hormone therapy or immunotherapy, or those with medical conditions preventing participation are unlikely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would receive standard androgen-deprivation (hormone-lowering) therapy together with a DNA vaccine designed to teach your CD8 T cells to recognize the androgen receptor on prostate cancer cells. In lab and animal studies, lowering androgens increased androgen receptor expression on tumor cells and made them more visible to vaccine-activated T cells. An earlier phase I trial of this AR-targeted vaccine showed it was safe and produced immune responses in patients. The team aims to use this combination to slow progression and prolong the time before cancers become resistant to hormone therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could strengthen immune attack on prostate tumors and delay progression to castration-resistant disease.
How similar studies have gone: Early work showed tumor control in animal models and a phase I human trial of the AR LBD vaccine was safe and generated immune responses, though larger trials are still needed to prove clinical benefit.
Where this research is happening
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University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcneel, Douglas G. — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Mcneel, Douglas G.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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Androgen deprivation as an immune boost with targeted immunotherapy for prostate cancer
This grant tests whether depriving androgens can boost the body’s immune attack against prostate cancer when combined with a vaccine-style immunotherapy.
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Isoform-selective Hsp90 inhibitors for prostate cancer therapy and immunotherapy
A new drug approach targets a specific protein (Hsp90β) in prostate cancer to fight tumors and boost immune therapy.
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Creating targeted drugs to treat advanced prostate cancer
This study is looking at new drugs that target a specific protein involved in cancer growth, hoping to make treatments for advanced prostate cancer safer and more effective, especially when combined with current immunotherapy options.
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Combining targeted radioligand therapy with immunotherapy for advanced 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.
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Helping immunotherapy work for metastatic prostate cancer
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.
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.