Prostate Cancer Translational Program at Northwestern
SPORE in Prostate Cancer
Researchers are developing targeted drugs and immune-based treatments to help men with advanced or treatment-resistant prostate cancer, including tumors with PTEN loss or MYC activation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181006 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This multi-institution program brings together lab scientists, clinicians, statisticians, bioinformaticians, and patient advocates from Northwestern, the University of Chicago, and NorthShore to move lab discoveries toward patient care. The team runs three linked projects focused on blocking the MYC cancer pathway, making resistant metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer more responsive to immunotherapy, and turning on STING signaling to overcome resistance in PTEN-deficient tumors. Work includes basic laboratory studies, biomarker and bioinformatics analyses, and clinical-translational efforts that could lead to early-phase treatment studies. Support cores provide leadership, biostatistics, and bioinformatics to guide how findings are tested in patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be men with advanced or metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, especially those with PTEN-deficient tumors or molecular evidence of MYC-driven disease who are open to molecular testing and clinical-translational protocols.
Not a fit: Men with early, localized prostate cancer or those without the specific molecular features targeted by these projects may not see direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could produce new treatment options that help men with advanced or immunotherapy-resistant prostate cancer live longer or respond better to immune-based therapies.
How similar studies have performed: While immunotherapy has shown limited overall benefit in prostate cancer to date, early research and preclinical work targeting MYC or activating STING have been promising and now need clinical testing.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abdulkadir, Sarki a. — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Abdulkadir, Sarki a.
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.