Our lab was awarded a five-year R01 grant titled: Interleukin-1beta and AR-negative tumor cells in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer.

August 18, 2022
This new grant will support studies employing animal models of metastasis, human cell lines, PDX-derived cells and human tissue samples to ascertain the functional role of IL-1𝛽 in skeletal colonization of prostate cancer cells, discriminating between direct autocrine-paracrine effects on cancer cells and targeting cells of the tumor-associated bone stroma. Furthermore, we will identify the bone stroma cells targeted by IL-1𝛽 and evaluate three stromal factors secreted in response to IL-1𝛽 for the ability to induce AR signaling and expression of AR-regulated genes. Finally, using a combination of molecular biology approaches we will define the mechanism for the transcriptional regulation of IL-1𝛽 by the AR and validate this mechanism in animal models of disease.