PSMA-Targeted Activated Myeloid Cells as a Novel Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy
Abstract
The proposed studies are relevant to the Prostate Cancer Research Program challenge to “Develop treatments that improve outcomes for men with lethal prostate cancer.” Metastatic prostate cancer is uniformly fatal, with a 5-year survival of only ~29%. This proposal seeks to develop a novel immunotherapy for prostate cancer. Myeloid cells are white blood cells that are part of the immune system. Myeloid cells lacking a protein called p50 are more active against several cancers, including prostate cancer, in mouse models. Prostate cancers express a protein termed prostate-specific membrane antigen or PMSA, and the level of PSMA is highest in the most aggressive cancers. We plan to direct p50-deficient myeloid cells to prostate cancer either by using PSMA antibody or by expressing a PSMA-targeting receptor on the myeloid cells. We will then determine their effectiveness in models of local or metastatic prostate cancer. We will also evaluate the benefit of adding additional immunotherapy agents to PMSA-targeted, activated myeloid cells. The most effective methods and combinations of therapies will be identified, and any pitfalls that could hinder the clinical development, safety, and efficacy of such therapies will be addressed. Upon completion of these studies, we anticipate evaluating our novel immunotherapy in clinical trials against aggressive prostate cancer, including patients with metastatic disease. We anticipate that the novel therapy developed by this proposal will significantly improve outcomes for the large majority of patients with lethal prostate cancer, including military Service Members, Veterans, and their families.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2021
- Source ID
- W81XWH2110671
Entities
People
- Alan Friedman
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University
- United States Army