The National Cancer Institute awarded a $564,543 Project Grant under the Cancer Cause and Prevention Research (CFDA 93.393) program to Weill Medical College of Cornell University to conduct research aimed at understanding how the androgen receptor (AR) can transition from its normal growth-suppressive role to an oncogenic driver in prostate cancer. The project seeks to determine the conditions that allow engagement of the AR's growth-suppressive transcriptional program, establish the implications in human prostate cancer patients, and define key factors that mediate the switch between normal and oncogenic AR activity. Through a combination of epigenomic modulation, functional genomics, mouse models, patient-derived systems, and human data analysis, the researchers aim to evaluate the potential of reactivating the AR growth-suppressive program as a transformative treatment strategy for advanced, lethal prostate cancer. The project is scheduled to run from March 1, 2025 to February 28, 2030.