Identifying the early changes that drive treatment resistance

Grant information

Researcher – Dr Juan Manuel Jiménez Vacas
Institution – The Institute of Cancer Research, London
Award - £268,435
Duration - 2021-2024
Reference – TLD-PF19-006

Why did we fund this project?

• Many effective treatments for advanced prostate cancer, such as enzalutamide and abiraterone, work by blocking the growth signals that prostate cancers need to grow and spread.

• Eventually, prostate cancers adapt to be able to grow and spread even when these growth signals are blocked. When this happens, these treatments stop working and the cancer becomes resistant.

• Through this career development grant, Dr Juan Manuel Jiménez Vacas wanted to identify the changes in prostate cancer cells that occur when the cancer becomes resistant to treatments.

• Uncovering these changes could identify targets for drugs that could be given in combination with the current treatments to keep them working for longer.

What did the researcher do?

• Juan studied prostate tissue removed from men as part of their usual surgery, to identify early changes after treatment.

• These changes were then further studied in prostate cancer cells grown in the lab.

• Juan also used a special laboratory model of prostate cancer that relies on donated prostate cancer tissue from men. This allows the prostate cancer cells to be studied in a more realistic environment.

• This fellowship also supported Juan to travel to Harvard, to work with another leading prostate cancer research team led by Professor Steve Balk. Here, he was able to learn new techniques and gain experience in a different research environment.

What did the team achieve?

• Juan identified early changes in prostate cancer cells key to the development of resistance to treatments.

• Importantly, it was shown that reversing these changes can reduce the prostate cancer's ability to survive and make it sensitive to treatments again.

• This suggests that reversing these changes could be a promising new way to help men benefit from treatments for longer.

What does this mean for men?

• Juan's work could lead to the development of treatment combinations that could work for longer than current treatments alone.

• These new treatment strategies could help extend how long treatment can keep prostate cancer under control, helping men live better for longer.

• Since our funding ended, Juan has received a number of grants from other funders to continue looking for the best treatment combinations and to increase our understanding of treatment resistance.