Stopping treatment-resistant cell changes in advanced prostate cancer
Official title: Project 3: Therapeutic Targeting of Lineage Plasticity in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11173732 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This effort tries to stop advanced prostate cancer in men from changing into more aggressive, treatment-resistant forms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 14, 2001 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $212,658 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA092629-24 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173732 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, particularly those whose tumors show low/absent androgen receptor activity or who have progressed on abiraterone or enzalutamide and can provide biopsy samples, are the most likely candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Men with early-stage or well-controlled AR-positive prostate cancer, or those unable to undergo biopsy or travel to the study site, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
This project studies why some castration-resistant prostate cancers switch from typical AR-positive tumors into more aggressive AR-low/negative or neuroendocrine-like tumors. Researchers will analyze tumor biopsies and genetic sequencing alongside lab models to link changes in genes such as TP53, RB1, EZH2, and SOX2 to this 'lineage plasticity.' They aim to identify markers that define the transition stage and to test approaches that could block or reverse these cell-state changes. If you are a patient, participation may involve providing tumor tissue samples and traveling to Memorial Sloan Kettering for testing and possible treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce tests and treatments that prevent or treat the aggressive, treatment-resistant form of prostate cancer and expand options for men whose cancers no longer respond to hormone therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Genomic and laboratory studies have identified likely drivers of lineage plasticity, but clinical strategies to prevent or reverse these changes in patients remain largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
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Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sawyers, Charles L. — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Sawyers, Charles L.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how aggressive cell states emerge in castration-resistant prostate cancer
A research project aims to uncover the hidden cell states that help prostate cancer resist standard therapy and how these states arise early in tumor development.
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Enhancer RNA CYP11A1-eRNA in castration-resistant prostate cancer
Researchers are testing a new RNA-based target, CYP11A1-eRNA, to see if blocking it can hamper the growth of castration-resistant prostate cancer in the lab and animal models.
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Targeted Immunostimulatory Dual Drug Conjugates for Heterogeneous Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Researchers are testing a targeted therapy approach to help people with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer by boosting the immune system and delivering drugs directly to cancer cells.
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Androgen Receptor Action in Prostate Cancer that Stops Responding to Therapy
This grant supports research to understand why certain prostate cancers stop responding to AR-targeted therapies and to find new ways to target them.
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Hyperactive methylation in a hard-to-treat prostate cancer subtype
Researchers are studying a newly identified methylation-heavy group of advanced prostate cancer to understand its biology and find clues for better treatments.
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Therapeutic Targeting of Lineage Plasticity in Advanced Prostate Cancer
A cancer research effort aimed at understanding and tackling how aggressive prostate cancers become resistant to standard AR-targeted 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.