How the protein YY1 helps advanced, treatment-resistant prostate cancer grow
Official title: The Role of YY1 in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11190789 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores if targeting the protein YY1 can slow or stop growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer that no longer responds to hormone therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $403,094 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA262903-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190789 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with advanced castration-resistant prostate cancer, especially those whose tumors show AR-V7 or high YY1 activity, would be most relevant to this research.
✕Less likely to help
Men with early-stage, hormone-sensitive prostate cancer or those whose tumors lack YY1/AR-V7 activity are less likely to benefit from these specific findings.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying tumor samples and laboratory cancer cells to see how the protein YY1 turns on genes that boost sugar metabolism and fuel aggressive prostate cancer. They map where YY1 and a therapy-resistant androgen receptor form (AR-V7) bind DNA, measure which genes are switched on, and test what happens when YY1 or its partners are blocked. The team uses techniques like chromatin profiling, RNA sequencing, and protein interaction studies, and tests effects of blocking bromodomain proteins in cell models. The work aims to find molecular targets that could be turned into new treatments for men with resistant prostate cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to stop hormone-resistant prostate cancer by targeting YY1 or its interaction partners.
How similar studies have gone: Lab and animal studies targeting AR-V7, glycolysis, or bromodomain proteins have shown promise in slowing resistant prostate cancer, but these approaches are not yet proven as effective patient treatments.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cai, Ling — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Cai, Ling
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.
-
Enhancer RNA CYP11A1-eRNA in castration-resistant prostate cancer
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.
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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.
-
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.
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.