How early-life exposures may lead to aggressive prostate cancer
Official title: Discriminatory Mechanisms in Early-Onset and Lethal Prostate Cancer
Funded at Public Health Institute · NIH-11146559 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at whether exposures in early life or young adulthood that change how cell mitochondria work are linked to early-onset and fatal prostate cancer in men.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Public Health Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oakland, United States) |
| Project start | August 13, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $200,997 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA264519-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11146559 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are men at risk for prostate cancer—particularly those diagnosed before age 60, those with a family history, or men who can provide information or samples about early-life exposures.
✕Less likely to help
Men with typical late-onset prostate cancer or those without any early-life exposure or biospecimen information are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This project uses blood and pregnancy-era samples collected decades before cancer appeared to look for metabolic signs that mitochondria were reprogrammed by early exposures. Investigators will link those metabolic signatures to later development of prostate cancer before age 60 and to cancers that become lethal. The work focuses on a two-generation cohort from Alameda County, using advanced lab and analytical methods to connect exposure measures with later outcomes. Findings aim to point to pathways that could be targeted to prevent aggressive prostate cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify early metabolic markers and preventable exposures that help stop or lower the risk of early-onset and deadly prostate cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked mitochondrial changes to cancer, but using long-term, pre-disease samples and parental pregnancy samples in this way is novel and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
-
Public Health Institute
Oakland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cohn, Barbara a — Public Health Institute
- Study coordinator: Cohn, Barbara a
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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.