Targeting a lipid enzyme (PIKfyve) in aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer
Project 1 - Targeting PIKfyve-driven lipid homeostasis as a metabolic vulnerability in neuroendocrine prostate cancer
This project aims to use new drugs that remove a lipid enzyme called PIKfyve to try to stop or shrink aggressive neuroendocrine prostate cancer that no longer responds to hormone therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11196275 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will develop and test new drugs that degrade a lipid-making enzyme called PIKfyve, which helps neuroendocrine prostate cancer survive under stress. Researchers will use laboratory studies, animal models, and tumor samples to see whether removing PIKfyve kills cancer cells and shrinks tumors. They will also test combining PIKfyve-targeting approaches with drugs that block the MAPK pathway to look for stronger anti-cancer effects. If the preclinical results are promising, the work could lead to early clinical trials for people with treatment-resistant disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with advanced, treatment‑resistant neuroendocrine prostate cancer, especially those whose tumors have progressed after androgen‑targeting therapies.
Not a fit: People with early-stage prostate cancer, cancers of a different type, or tumors that remain sensitive to standard hormone therapy may not benefit directly from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce a targeted therapy that more effectively controls or shrinks neuroendocrine prostate cancers that no longer respond to standard hormone treatments.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies show PIKfyve inhibitors can kill NEPC cells and shrink tumors in models, but human testing of PIKfyve‑targeting drugs is still novel and early.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chinnaiyan, Arul M — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Chinnaiyan, Arul M
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.