Understanding how the tumor environment affects prostate cancer spread and treatment resistance
Official title: Defining Tumor Microenvironmental Mediators of Prostate Cancer Metastasis and Therapy Resistance
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-10998222 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how certain cells in the area around prostate tumors might affect the spread of advanced prostate cancer and how well treatments work, with the hope of finding new ways to help patients get better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $575,652 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA285780-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10998222 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are men diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, particularly those experiencing treatment resistance.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with localized prostate cancer or those who have not yet undergone treatment may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of the tumor microenvironment in the progression of metastatic prostate cancer and its resistance to therapies. It focuses on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and a specific protein called Asporin (ASPN), which may influence how prostate cancer cells spread and respond to treatment. By analyzing these interactions, the research aims to uncover mechanisms that contribute to treatment failure and identify potential new therapeutic targets. Patients may benefit from insights that could lead to more effective treatments for advanced prostate cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatment strategies for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, potentially overcoming resistance to current therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the tumor microenvironment's role in cancer progression, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hurley, Paula Jill — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Hurley, Paula Jill
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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PMN-MDSCs in bone metastasis of prostate cancer
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-
Understanding how prostate cancer spreads to bone and stays dormant
Researchers are studying how prostate cancer moves to bone, why it becomes deadly, and how some cancer cells lie dormant before potentially causing trouble.
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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.
-
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.
-
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.
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.