Targeted Immunostimulatory Dual Drug Conjugates for Heterogeneous Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Official title: Targeted Immunostimulatory Dual Drug Conjugates for Treating Heterogeneous Metastatic Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer
Funded at University of Wisconsin-Madison · NIH-11427360 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wisconsin-Madison NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Madison, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $650,369 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA315741-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11427360 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have exhausted standard therapies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without PSMA-positive tumors or those not eligible for radiopharmaceutical approaches may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing dual drug conjugates that aim to stimulate the immune system while specifically targeting prostate cancer cells. The approach focuses on PSMA-positive tumors and seeks to overcome tumor heterogeneity and an immunosuppressive environment that makes mCRPC hard to treat. The study will explore how these conjugates distribute in the body, particularly in blood and bone marrow, and how they interact with antigen-presenting cells to drive an anti-tumor response. If successful, the work could pave the way for more effective therapies for patients with advanced prostate cancer who have limited options today.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective, targeted treatments for men with metastatic prostate cancer and potentially improve survival and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous PSMA-targeted approaches have shown survival benefits in a subset of patients, but heterogeneity and resistance remain challenges, making this a promising but novel strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Meimetis, Labros — University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Study coordinator: Meimetis, Labros
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Stopping therapy-resistant prostate cancer by blocking FOXA2 and AP-1
This research looks at whether blocking a protein switch called FOXA2 and its partner AP‑1 can stop or reverse prostate cancers that no longer respond to hormone therapy.
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.