Why prostate cancer becomes resistant to anti-androgen drugs
Official title: Neuroendocrine differentiation post anti-androgenic therapy: Role of Tribbles 2
Funded at Henry Ford Health System · NIH-11294299 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether blocking a protein called Tribbles 2 can help men whose prostate cancer stopped responding to anti-androgen drugs regain sensitivity to treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Henry Ford Health System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Detroit, United States) |
| Project start | April 20, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $347,700 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA269635-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294299 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Men with prostate cancer whose tumors no longer respond to enzalutamide, apalutamide, darolutamide, or abiraterone and who can provide tumor tissue or clinical data are the most relevant candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Men whose prostate cancer is still controlled by first-line anti-androgen therapy or those with unrelated cancers or conditions are unlikely to get direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers grew prostate cancer cells in the lab until they became resistant to enzalutamide and compared their gene activity to the original cells. They found that the protein Tribbles 2 (Trib2) is much higher in resistant cells and in tumors from patients and patient-derived xenografts. The team will test whether lowering or blocking Trib2 can kill resistant cancer cells or make them respond again to anti-androgen drugs using cell models and tumor samples. Results could point to new drug targets or biomarkers for men with resistant prostate cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, targeting Trib2 could restore response to anti-androgen drugs and lead to new treatment options for men with enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory studies have previously linked Trib2 to cancer growth and drug resistance, but therapies that directly target Trib2 have not yet been proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
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Henry Ford Health System
Detroit, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghosh, Jagadananda — Henry Ford Health System
- Study coordinator: Ghosh, Jagadananda
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.