Targeting B7-H3 with TriKEs to treat metastatic prostate cancer
Official title: Targeting B7-H3 using tri-specific killer engagers (TriKE) to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11334072 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Mayo Clinic team is testing a TriKE therapy that directs natural killer cells to attack metastatic prostate cancer in men.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $410,012 |
| NIH project number | 1P50CA298941-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11334072 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who are eligible for NK cell–focused immunotherapies.
✕Less likely to help
Some patients may not respond to TriKE therapy or may experience immune-related side effects.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing a trispecific killer engager (TriKE) that enhances NK cell activity against prostate cancer by targeting B7-H3 and providing IL-15–based stimulation. The approach builds on years of NK cell therapy research and aims to extend benefits beyond blood cancers into solid tumors like metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. If successful, it could offer a new, targeted patient treatment that mobilizes the body's own immune cells with potentially fewer side effects than conventional therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could lead to a new immunotherapy option that helps kill prostate cancer cells more precisely.
How similar studies have gone: Past NK cell therapies have shown promise in blood cancers; this TriKE approach builds on positive signals but is still undergoing early testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Miller, Jeffrey S. — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Miller, Jeffrey S.
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.
-
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.