Mouse models to track how prostate cancer spreads and changes after hormone treatment
"Novel Mouse Models for Quantitative Understanding of Baseline and Therapy-Driven Evolution of Prostate Cancer Metastasis"
['FUNDING_R01'] · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV · NIH-11301878
This project uses new mouse models with patient-like genetics to follow how prostate cancer spreads and adapts during and after androgen-deprivation therapy, aiming to help men with advanced prostate cancer.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11301878 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers built a mouse model that mimics human prostate cancer by using the same genetic changes seen in metastatic patients (loss of PTEN and TP53). They tag tumor cells with genetic barcodes and imaging markers so they can watch which cells seed metastases and how those cells evolve over time, including after hormone therapy. The team uses luminescence and fluorescence imaging plus CRISPR-based barcoding to trace tumor subclones as they move to bones, lungs, lymph nodes, and liver. This approach lets them test candidate genes that may drive resistance and metastatic spread to identify new targets for future treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Men with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer, especially those whose cancer has become resistant to androgen-deprivation therapy, would be most likely to benefit from future clinical advances coming from this work.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer who are not at risk for metastasis are unlikely to benefit directly from this preclinical mouse-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal how metastatic, therapy-resistant prostate cancer evolves and point to new targets to prevent or treat deadly spread.
How similar studies have performed: Related lineage-tracing and genetically engineered mouse models have provided useful insights before, but applying a Cas9-barcode system in an endogenous prostate metastasis model is relatively new and experimental.
Where this research is happening
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV — NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: NOWAK, DAWID GRZEGORZ — WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV
- Study coordinator: NOWAK, DAWID GRZEGORZ
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.