Isoform-selective Hsp90 inhibitors for prostate cancer therapy and immunotherapy
Official title: Developing isoform-selective Hsp90 inhibitors for monotherapy and enhanced immunotherapy against lethal prostate cancer
Funded at University of Notre Dame · NIH-11355612 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new drug approach targets a specific protein (Hsp90β) in prostate cancer to fight tumors and boost immune therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Notre Dame NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Notre Dame, United States) |
| Project start | June 10, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $541,851 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA297220-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11355612 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with prostate cancer, especially those resistant to standard therapies, who could benefit from advanced targeted inhibitors and potential combination with immunotherapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit include those without prostate cancer or those whose disease is not driven by pathways involving Hsp90β.
What this research studies
This project aims to create and optimize inhibitors that selectively block Hsp90β, a protein that helps many cancer-related proteins mature. By focusing on the beta isoform, researchers hope to reduce harmful side effects seen with broader Hsp90 inhibitors and avoid triggering the heat shock response. Early data suggest these inhibitors can slow prostate cancer cell growth and may make immune checkpoint therapies work better. The work includes improving the drug’s properties for use in living organisms and testing combination strategies with immunotherapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with prostate cancer could receive more effective treatments with fewer side effects and better responses to immunotherapy.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data show promising anti-tumor activity and synergy with immunotherapy in prostate cancer models, supporting further development.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blagg, Brian S J — University of Notre Dame
- Study coordinator: Blagg, Brian S J
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.
-
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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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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Hormone-lowering treatment plus targeted immunotherapy for prostate cancer
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.
-
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.
-
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.