Role of TPH1 in Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer and New Treatment Avenues
Official title: Elucidating the Role of Tryptophan Hydroxylase 1 in Neuroendocrine Prostate Cancer
Funded at Washington State University · NIH-11361563 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A researcher at Washington State University is studying how an enzyme called TPH1 helps a deadly form of prostate cancer grow, with the goal of finding new treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pullman, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,428,367 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA279528-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11361563 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with neuroendocrine or treatment-related neuroendocrine features in prostate cancer could benefit from future therapies arising from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without NEPC or neuroendocrine features may not directly benefit from targeted therapies developed in this project.
What this research studies
This project looks at how tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) supports neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) and explores ways to block it. The team uses human cancer data, cell models, and mouse studies to understand how TPH1 affects cancer markers, growth, and spread. By identifying how TPH1 drives NEPC, they aim to develop targeted therapies that could extend patients’ lives. The work builds on existing findings that TPH1 is higher in NEPC and in advanced, neuroendocrine-like prostate cancers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with NEPC could have new targeted treatment options that slow or stop tumor growth and improve survival.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary data suggest that inhibiting TPH1 reduces tumor growth in NEPC models, supporting further development.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington State University
Pullman, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wu, Boyang — Washington State University
- Study coordinator: Wu, Boyang
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cardiovascular risk planning and reduction for men with prostate cancer
A program to better predict and reduce heart disease risk in men treated for prostate cancer, especially older patients.
-
Effects of ADT on motivation and emotion in prostate cancer patients
This project looks at how androgen deprivation therapy may affect motivation and mood over time in men with prostate cancer.
-
Causal Protein Markers to Understand and Predict Prostate Cancer Risk in Africans and Europeans
A cancer research project looking at proteins linked to prostate cancer to better understand why it happens and how risk differs between African and European populations.
-
Ethical multimodal AI platform to improve prostate cancer detection with ultrasound
A patient-friendly AI system uses ultrasound and MRI information to help doctors better find prostate cancer, aiming to improve accuracy and access.
-
Characterizing epigenetic targets in prostate cancer to help AR-driven cancer
A research project at MD Anderson aims to understand how epigenetic factors shape androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer to find new ways to treat resistant forms of the disease.
-
AR and RNA-binding in prostate cancer resistance
A cancer research grant exploring how the androgen receptor’s interaction with RNA may drive treatment resistance in prostate cancer, with potential to guide new therapies.
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.