Modulating Androgen Signals to Boost CAR T Therapy for Prostate Cancer
Official title: Project 3: Modulating Androgen Receptor Signaling to Enhance the Efficacy of CAR T Cell Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11415651 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new approach uses CAR T cells targeting STEAP1 to treat advanced prostate cancer, with a focus on how androgen signals affect treatment effectiveness.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2002 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $289,253 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA097186-25 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415651 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with advanced or metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have limited options and meet trial safety criteria.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without STEAP1 expression or those unable to tolerate CAR T–related therapies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores a CAR T cell therapy aimed at STEAP1, a target found in many aggressive prostate cancers. It looks at how the presence of androgens may influence CAR T cell function and seeks to optimize treatment in men with metastatic, treatment-resistant disease. The work includes preclinical models to test safety and tumor-killing activity and to understand how the tumor environment and antigen levels impact outcomes. The team is preparing to translate promising findings into a first-in-human trial through the NExT program. Overall, the goal is to improve the potency and durability of CAR T therapy for patients with advanced prostate cancer by considering androgen biology.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could make CAR T therapy more effective and safer for men with advanced prostate cancer by leveraging androgen signaling to enhance immune cell activity.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical STEAP1 CAR T approaches show tumor targeting and safety signals, with translation to human trials underway in adaptive strategies for solid tumors.
Where this research is happening
-
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, John Kyung — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Lee, John Kyung
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Boosting CAR T cell therapy for advanced prostate cancer by blocking androgen signals
This project looks at whether blocking androgen receptor signals can help a new STEAP1-targeted CAR T‑cell therapy work better for men with advanced, treatment‑resistant prostate cancer.
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Drug that blocks tumor-made male hormones and the androgen receptor for advanced prostate cancer
A new medicine aims to block both the androgen receptor and the tumor’s own production of male hormones to help men with advanced, treatment‑resistant prostate cancer.
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Boosting a tumor-suppressing enzyme to fight advanced prostate cancer
A research grant aims to develop new molecules that enhance the PP2A enzyme to slow or stop progression of advanced prostate cancer.
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Genomic clues to guide therapy in advanced prostate cancer
This grant looks at how a patient’s tumor and germline DNA could predict which targeted or immune therapies will work best for advanced prostate cancer.
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DACH1-based test to predict therapy response in advanced prostate cancer
A new test using DACH1 and other markers on prostate cancer tissue aims to predict which patients will respond to therapy and guide clinical trials.
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Understanding how doctors choose treatments to improve advanced prostate cancer care
A clinician-researcher at Duke is exploring how medical decisions are made in advanced prostate cancer to help patients get better, fairer care.
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.