How AR Inverse Agonists could help men with advanced prostate cancer
Official title: Mechanisms of Androgen Receptor Inverse Agonists in Advanced Prostate Cancer
Funded at Case Western Reserve University · NIH-11365066 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Ages 21 and older with advanced prostate cancer may benefit from a new type of drug that changes how the androgen receptor drives cancer growth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Case Western Reserve University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | July 5, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,590,939 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA291963-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365066 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with advanced prostate cancer, especially metastatic castration-resistant cases, who may be eligible for future therapy trials or related biomarker studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose cancer does not rely on the AR pathway or who cannot tolerate the experimental drugs may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to understand how AR inverse agonists work in changing the activity of the androgen receptor in advanced prostate cancer. Researchers will use clinically relevant models, including patient-derived xenografts and cell lines, to map epigenetic changes that accompany AR-driven tumor growth. They will design and test small molecules that switch AR from promoting cancer to suppressing tumor genes. The study combines lab experiments with computational analysis to identify how AR interacts with other proteins in the cancer genome. If successful, this work could lead to a new therapeutic strategy for patients whose cancer no longer responds to standard therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with advanced prostate cancer could gain a new treatment that stops cancer from growing by reprogramming the AR pathway.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that targeting AR signaling and its co-regulators can impact tumor growth, supporting the potential of this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gryder, Berkley E — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Gryder, Berkley E
Related research
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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.