Lowering cholesterol to boost the immune system against prostate cancer
Intensive cholesterol-lowering intervention and anti-tumor immunity modeled in prostate cancer
This project will see whether intensive cholesterol lowering helps the immune system better control prostate cancer in men.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11172572 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers will lower blood cholesterol and watch how immune cells change in both mice and men with prostate cancer. They will measure immune signaling (including mTOR/TORC2), levels of memory CD8+ T cells and regulatory T cells, and changes in tumor visibility to the immune system. Mouse experiments allow detailed tissue studies while patients will provide blood and tumor samples before and after cholesterol lowering. The team will compare the mouse and human results to find ways to strengthen long-term immune control of prostate cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are men with prostate cancer who can undergo cholesterol-lowering treatment and are willing to provide blood and possibly tumor samples for research.
Not a fit: Patients who cannot take cholesterol-lowering therapy, have major unrelated health problems, or have tumors unlikely to respond to immune changes may not gain benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to using cholesterol-lowering approaches to strengthen anti-tumor immunity and slow prostate cancer progression.
How similar studies have performed: Epidemiologic and animal studies suggest statins and cholesterol lowering are linked to lower prostate cancer mortality and slower tumor growth, but applying these immune effects in patients is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Hyung L — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Kim, Hyung L
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 below.