Targeting STING signaling in SPOP‑mutant castration‑resistant prostate cancer
Targeting Non-Canonical STING Signaling to Treat SPOP Mutant Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
This project tests whether blocking a specific STING immune pathway can help men with castration‑resistant prostate cancer that carry SPOP mutations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11168771 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are focused on prostate cancers that carry SPOP mutations and how those tumors use a non‑canonical STING‑NF‑κB pathway to survive and grow. They analyze patient tumor data and tumor samples alongside laboratory models (human and mouse cells) to see how SPOP mutations change STING signaling and the tumor microenvironment. The team will test whether disrupting that pathway, alone or combined with drugs like PARP inhibitors, reduces tumor‑promoting signals in models and identifies markers that could guide treatments. Successful lab findings would support moving toward clinical testing for patients with these specific tumor mutations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are men with castration‑resistant prostate cancer whose tumors carry SPOP mutations, and possibly those with co‑occurring CHD1 changes.
Not a fit: Patients whose tumors do not have SPOP mutations are unlikely to benefit from treatments that specifically target this STING pathway.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new targeted therapies or combination treatments for men with SPOP‑mutant castration‑resistant prostate cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Some prior work has targeted STING signaling and used PARP inhibitors in prostate cancer, but applying non‑canonical STING targeting specifically in SPOP‑mutant tumors is a relatively new and less‑tested approach.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thompson, Timothy Charles — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Thompson, Timothy Charles
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.