New Treatment Approaches for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Targeting the Plk1/Pdcd4/mTORC2 Signaling to Treat Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
This research looks for new ways to treat prostate cancer that has become resistant to standard hormone therapies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kentucky NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lexington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11131062 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Prostate cancer often relies on a signal called the androgen receptor (AR), and current treatments like abiraterone and enzalutamide block this signal. However, many patients eventually develop a form of the disease called castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) that no longer responds to these therapies. This project aims to understand how a specific pathway, involving proteins called Plk1, Pdcd4, and mTORC2, contributes to this resistance. By understanding this pathway, we hope to find new drug targets to help patients whose cancer has stopped responding to existing treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This research is relevant for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer, especially those whose disease has become resistant to androgen signaling inhibitors like abiraterone and enzalutamide.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage prostate cancer or those who are still responding well to current androgen signaling inhibitors may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatment options for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer who no longer benefit from current hormone therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has shown that blocking Plk1, one of the proteins in this pathway, can improve the effectiveness of existing hormone therapies.
Where this research is happening
Lexington, United States
- University of Kentucky — Lexington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Xiaoqi — University of Kentucky
- Study coordinator: Liu, Xiaoqi
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.