PHILADELPHIA, PA. (Sept. 2, 2026) — Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health’s Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center have received an $8.2 million National Cancer Institute (NCI) Program Project Grant to advance the study of neuroendocrine prostate cancer.
"This grant is a milestone for Sidney Kimmel Medical College — the first time one of our investigators has led an NCI Program Project Grant for prostate cancer," said Said Ibrahim, MD, MPH, MBA, Anthony F. and Gertrude M. DePalma Dean of Sidney Kimmel Medical College. "It reflects the caliber of research happening here and the kind of collaborative science that will ultimately change outcomes for patients facing this disease."
The multi-year grant will support a research team led by principal investigator Lucia R. Languino, PhD, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Cancer Biology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College. The research team includes Dario C. Altieri MD, Wistar Institute; Alessandro Fatatis, MD, PhD, Drexel University; David Goodrich, PhD, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center; and William Kevin Kelly, DO, Sidney Kimmel Medical College.
One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. While there have been significant advances in early detection and treatment, it remains the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Neuroendocrine prostate cancer is one of the most aggressive subtypes.
This advanced form of prostate cancer most often develops in patients who have previously undergone targeted treatments. Neuroendocrine prostate cancer spreads rapidly and can metastasize to other areas of the body. Due to its resistance to standard therapies and rapid progression, on average patients live less than nine months with this advanced disease after diagnosis.
“Prostate cancer at the neuroendocrine stage is highly aggressive and treatment-resistant, leaving patients with very few options,” said Dr. Languino. “A key focus of our research is understanding how these tumors evade the immune system in hopes of laying the groundwork for the development of more effective therapies and treatment options.”
The grant will fund research projects focused on studying how neuroendocrine prostate cancer evolves, how the cancer cells grow and metastasize and how to target cancer cell vulnerabilities in order to prevent the development of the disease.
“The highly competitive P01 grant from the National Cancer Institute reflects years of pioneering research, institutional investment and focused collaboration across multiple specialties,” said Andrew E. Chapman, DO, Director, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and Enterprise Vice President, Oncology Services, Jefferson Health. “However even more than funding, it represents a meaningful step forward in our mission to revolutionize the future of cancer care.”
Along with Thomas Jefferson University and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, the grant brings together leading physicians, scientists, and researchers whose expertise spans oncology, immunology, mitochondrial biology, inflammation, and clinical medicine.
By utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, researchers aim to translate their discoveries into innovative new therapies that will transform how prostate cancer is treated in the future.