Understanding how prostate cancer spreads to bone and stays dormant
Official title: Modeling bone metastasis and tumor dormancy in prostate cancer
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11359536 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying how prostate cancer moves to bone, why it becomes deadly, and how some cancer cells lie dormant before potentially causing trouble.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 24, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $681,310 |
| NIH project number | 1U01CA313321-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11359536 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal for patients with prostate cancer at risk of bone metastasis or with existing bone metastases, and for researchers translating mouse findings to human disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without risk of bone metastasis or those not involved in translational research from this study may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses specially engineered mouse models to mimic how prostate cancer spreads to bone within a living organism. By tracing tumor cells, researchers will map the steps of metastasis and compare tumors that spread to bone with those that do not. The study also examines tumor dormancy and the signals that allow cancer cells to seed bone but stay quiet for long periods. Look for differences in metabolism and cellular programs that accompany metastasis and dormancy. Findings could reveal targets to prevent bone metastasis or awaken dormant cells in controlled ways for therapy testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal new ways to prevent bone metastasis or treat dormant cancer cells before they cause symptoms.
How similar studies have gone: Similar mouse-model studies have provided insights into metastasis, but this project aims to link dormancy with specific gene pathways and bone-tropic behavior.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abate-Shen, Cory — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Abate-Shen, Cory
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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PMN-MDSCs in bone metastasis of prostate cancer
A study in people with advanced prostate cancer bone metastases is exploring how immune-suppressing cells in the bone environment may limit current therapies and how targeting them could help.
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Personalized Metastasis-Directed Therapy for Prostate Cancer with Imaging and Biopsy Boost
A large North American trial will test whether targeted radiation to metastases helps men with a specific type of prostate cancer and uses biomarker tests and imaging to tailor treatment.
-
Understanding how tumor neighbors help prostate cancer spread and resist therapy
Researchers are studying how the tumor environment around prostate cancer cells promotes spread and resistance to common therapies, with a focus on a protein called ASPN.
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Lipoylation and bone metastasis in prostate cancer: paving the way for new treatments
A study in men with advanced prostate cancer will explore how a chemical process called lipoylation influences cancer spreading to bone and whether this could lead to new therapies.
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RIPK2/MKK7/c-Myc Signals as a Target to Stop Prostate Cancer from Spreading
This grant tests a new way to stop prostate cancer from spreading by blocking a signaling pathway involving RIPK2, MKK7, and c-Myc.
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Understanding how prostate cancer spreads to bone and why it likes bone
A major NIH grant is funding research to uncover why prostate cancer cells spread to bone and how they grow there, using a mouse model that mirrors human bone metastasis.
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.