SMARCA1's role in prostate cancer growth and treatment resistance
Official title: Project 2: The Functional Role of SMARCA1 Signaling in Prostate Cancer Progression and Drug Resistance
Funded at Tennessee State University · NIH-11190825 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether blocking the SMARCA1 protein can slow prostate cancer growth and help men whose tumors stop responding to hormone therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tennessee State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2011 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $112,809 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA163066-15 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190825 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with advanced or castration-resistant prostate cancer, and those willing to donate tumor or normal prostate tissue or clinical data—especially African American men—are most relevant to this project.
✕Less likely to help
Men with early-stage prostate cancer already cured by surgery or men without prostate cancer are unlikely to see direct benefit from this research in the near term.
What this research studies
Researchers will measure SMARCA1 levels in prostate tumors and normal prostate tissue, including samples from African American and Caucasian men. They will reduce or inactivate SMARCA1 in prostate cancer cells and animal models to see how that changes tumor growth and response to anti-androgen drugs. The team will study how SMARCA1 interacts with AKT and the androgen receptor pathways that drive castration-resistant prostate cancer. Results will be used to guide development of drugs that target SMARCA1 signaling to overcome treatment resistance.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that block SMARCA1 to prevent or overcome treatment-resistant prostate cancer, potentially improving outcomes for affected men including African American patients.
How similar studies have gone: Early laboratory data show SMARCA1 is elevated in advanced tumors and that reducing it can slow cancer cell growth, but clinical targeting of SMARCA1 is still a novel and unproven approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Tennessee State University
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Xiaofei — Tennessee State University
- Study coordinator: Wang, Xiaofei
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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.