Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Aging awarded a $157,572 Project Grant to the University of Chicago (Award Date: July 1, 2026; Completion Date: April 30, 2031) under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to develop precision dosing models for metastatic prostate cancer (MPC) treatment in older adults. The research will deliver evidence-based, individualized dosing guidelines for androgen receptor signaling inhibitors (ARSIs) by validating the relationship between ARSI dose intensity, wearable sensor-derived activity metrics (specifically daily step counts), and toxicity outcomes. Using data from two prospective cohort studies (PROSGATE and DAROSTEP), the project will conduct serial geriatric assessments, integrate wearable-derived activity data, and apply advanced statistical methods to create predictive toxicity models that account for individual frailty levels and functional trajectories.

The primary deliverables include: (1) quantification of whether higher monthly ARSI doses predict increased 12-month risk of severe toxicity and functional decline in older men; (2) validation that baseline step counts and early activity declines independently predict adverse treatment outcomes; and (3) development of practical dosing guidelines informed by penalized spline-based and Bayesian additive regression analysis. The research addresses a critical clinical gap by replacing subjective, static dosing approaches with objective, real-time biomarkers that preserve functional independence while mitigating treatment-related toxicity in an aging population disproportionately affected by MPC.