# To Investigate Molecular Mechanisms of Aging-Related Growth of the Prostate - Implications in Prostate Tumorigenesis and Cancer Treatment

> **NIH NIH U54** · CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $209,493

## Abstract

Project Summary
Overall goals of the proposed work: Pathological studies reveal that the development of
prostate cancer is a near inevitable consequence of aging in men. It is noticed that the
prostate gland is enlarged with age and the age-related re-growth of prostate epithelial cells
is a critical step leading to the prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostate cancer.
The proposed research will investigate how the age-related prostate growth initiates and
design a novel strategy to specifically inhibit this growth process for the treatment of prostate
cancer.
Significance of the proposed research: Pre-malignant (PIN) lesions are characterized by
intraluminal proliferation of epithelial cells and generally detected in the growing prostate in
the aged men. Our studies demonstrated that the cytoplasmic WDR77 drives cellular
proliferation at the early (growing) stage of prostate development and this process is re-
activated to initiate growth of prostate epithelial cells in the aging prostate, which give a novel
mechanism behind age-related prostate enlargement. The proposed research will identify
signals that activate WDR77 to initiate cell growth and will test whether the identified
compound that inhibits WDR77-driven cell growth could suppress development of prostate
cancer in mouse models. Thus, the proposed research will not only provide scientific
knowledge of age-related prostate enlargement but also a novel strategy for prostate cancer
treatment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10134830
- **Project number:** 5U54MD007590-34
- **Recipient organization:** CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ZHENGXIN WANG
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $209,493
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-06-01 → 2024-02-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10134830

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10134830, To Investigate Molecular Mechanisms of Aging-Related Growth of the Prostate - Implications in Prostate Tumorigenesis and Cancer Treatment (5U54MD007590-34). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10134830. Licensed CC0.

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