How the SETD7 protein helps stop prostate cancer growth and treatment resistance
Official title: Noncanonical activities of SETD7 in preventing prostate cancer progression andtherapy resistance
Funded at University of Massachusetts Boston · NIH-11241159 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a protein called SETD7 helps keep prostate cancer from growing and from becoming resistant to hormone-based treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Boston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | December 5, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $419,124 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282906-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241159 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with advanced or castration-resistant prostate cancer, especially those whose tumors show low SETD7 or who are no longer responding to androgen receptor–targeted therapies, would be the most relevant candidates for related clinical efforts.
✕Less likely to help
Men with early-stage, localized prostate cancer treated definitively with surgery or radiation, or whose tumors lack SETD7/LSD1-related features, may not directly benefit from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how SETD7 modifies a DNA-binding protein called FOXA1 and how that interaction opposes a cancer-promoting enzyme called LSD1. They will use laboratory models, patient tumor samples, and molecular analyses to see how low SETD7 levels change tumor behavior and treatment response. The team will test whether reversing SETD7 loss or targeting the LSD1-FOXA1 pathway can prevent or overcome resistance to androgen-targeted therapies. Findings will be connected to clinical data to identify biomarkers that could guide future patient therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or treat prostate cancers that stop responding to standard hormone therapies and suggest biomarkers to guide treatment choices.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown LSD1 and FOXA1 drive therapy-resistant prostate cancer and the tumor-suppressive role of SETD7 is a recent finding, so this builds on promising but still early-stage evidence.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Massachusetts Boston
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cai, Changmeng — University of Massachusetts Boston
- Study coordinator: Cai, Changmeng
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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.