Using neutrophils to overcome hormone therapy resistance in prostate cancer that has spread to bone
Official title: Leveraging PMN immune response to overcome ADT resistance in bone metastatic prostate cancer
Funded at University of Nebraska Medical Center · NIH-11160637 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether restoring neutrophil (PMN) immune activity can help men with prostate cancer in the bones respond better to androgen-deprivation (hormone-blocking) therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nebraska Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Omaha, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $702,262 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA274605-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11160637 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with prostate cancer that has spread to bone, especially those receiving or who have become resistant to second-line androgen-deprivation therapies, would be the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with prostate cancer that has not spread to bone, other types of cancer, or patients not on hormone therapy are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
The team will collect blood samples from men with localized prostate cancer, bone-metastatic hormone-sensitive disease, and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer to compare neutrophil behavior across stages. Researchers will study how androgen-deprivation therapy changes neutrophil function and increases TGFβ signaling that suppresses anti-tumor activity. Laboratory experiments will try to reverse those suppressive changes and measure whether neutrophils regain the ability to attack tumor cells. The goal is to identify immune changes and potential treatment strategies that could be moved into patient testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new immune-directed treatments that help hormone therapy work longer and slow bone metastasis in men with advanced prostate cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory and early clinical work suggests neutrophils can limit bone metastasis, but using them to reverse hormone-therapy resistance is a relatively new and largely untested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mathew, Grinu — University of Nebraska Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mathew, Grinu
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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.