Why We Funded It:
Men with advanced prostate cancer have limited treatment
options, further hampered by the cancer's ability to develop
resistance to standard treatments. There is a clear need to invest
in research to focus on new ways to control and treat advanced
prostate cancer. This project is a PhD studentship to test a new
approach for developing drugs against a protein called the androgen
receptor.
Scientific Title: The Androgen Receptor
Amino-terminal Domain: A Novel Drug Target for the Treatment of
Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer
Research project summary:
This project aims to identify and develop new drug targets to
block the activity of a protein inside the prostate called the
androgen receptor. This protein interacts with testosterone and is
known to drive the growth of prostate cancer in the presence of
testosterone, but also in the absence of testosterone and when the
cancer is no longer responding to hormone therapy. The aim is to
demonstrate that the androgen receptor protein represents a novel
drug target. The eventual failure of current hormone-based
therapies means there are few treatment choices for men with
advanced, drug resistant disease. The present proposal offers the
potential of identifying new drug targets that will allow the
androgen receptor to be switched off in both the presence and
absence of hormones. This will block the activity of the androgen
receptor in cells which are no longer responding to hormone
treatment. The plans described would provide a complement or
alternative to current hormone-based treatments.
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