Targeting immune-suppressing macrophages to help African American men with advanced prostate cancer
Official title: Therapeutic targeting of PI3Kgamma-positive tumor associated macrophages in metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer to reduce health disparities
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11390865 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to improve treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer by changing the behavior of immune cells in tumors to help the body fight the cancer, with a focus on African American patients who are at higher risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $658,423 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA310127-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11390865 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adult men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, particularly African American men who have higher risk and may benefit from new immunotherapy approaches.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without advanced disease or without access to immunotherapy combinations may not experience direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how tumor-associated macrophages in metastatic prostate cancer suppress the immune response and how blocking a specific enzyme in these cells can re-activate immune attack against the tumor. The approach uses evidence from mouse models and studies with human cells to test whether inhibiting PI3K gamma in macrophages makes tumors more visible to the immune system and more responsive to therapies like anti-PD-1. If successful, this could lead to new combination treatments that improve outcomes for patients, especially among African American men who face higher disease burden. The team plans to translate findings toward clinical testing by validating targets in human samples and designing strategies that could be tested in future trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to therapies that enable better immune attack on tumors and improve survival for men with advanced prostate cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in animal models showed that targeting macrophage PI3K gamma can boost anti-tumor immunity and improve response to immunotherapy; translation to humans is ongoing and promising.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zarif, Jelani Chinelo — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Zarif, Jelani Chinelo
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
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Targeted Immunostimulatory Dual Drug Conjugates for Heterogeneous Metastatic Prostate Cancer
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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.
-
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.