LAST WEEK TODAY!

A summary of what was published on ProstateWarriors.com during the past week

Hi fellow warriors! Here I am again! The first newsletter of 2026. It’s particularly rich in preclinical research, just to get a sense of where we’re heading in the near future.Stay strong and fight on!

As usual, we also have a podcast if you prefer to listen to the newsletter, you can find it HERE.​

Clinical Research

• Phase 3 Trial: HRS-4357 for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
  HRS-4357, a novel PSMA-targeted radiopharmaceutical, is entering a Phase 3 clinical trial following approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration in late 2025. This randomized, open-label study plans to enroll 370 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have progressed after one prior androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) therapy. The study will directly compare the efficacy of HRS-4357 against switching to a different standard ARPI, like enzalutamide or abiraterone, with a primary focus on radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS).​
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• Phase 2 Trial: Dapagliflozin and Next-Generation Hormonal Agents
  ​A new Phase 2 clinical trial is investigating whether the addition of dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, to standard hormonal therapies can improve survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The trial targets the metabolic reprogramming of advanced tumors, which often shift to aerobic glycolysis and become “addicted” to glucose for survival. By blocking glucose uptake, dapagliflozin may exploit this vulnerability while simultaneously providing cardioprotective benefits that could mitigate the heart-related risks of long-term androgen deprivation.

Preclinical Research & Reviews

• CRISPR Epigenetic Editing for Gene Reactivation
  ​Researchers have developed a CRISPR-based epigenetic editing tool that can precisely reactivate silenced genes without cutting DNA, offering a potentially safer alternative to traditional gene editing. By removing methyl groups—chemical clusters that act as “anchors” to repress gene function—scientists successfully reactivated the fetal globin gene in human cells to produce functional hemoglobin, a major breakthrough for treating Sickle Cell disease. While currently being validated in laboratory settings, the platform could eventually be used to reactivate tumor suppressor genes in cancer, making “cold” tumors visible to the immune system without the risks of mutagenesis.​
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• AI-Driven Personalized Cancer Vaccines Targeting T and B Cells
  ​A new AI framework from KAIST is designed to optimize personalized cancer vaccines by identifying neoantigens that trigger both T-cell and B-cell responses. While most existing vaccines focus on T cells for immediate tumor attack, this dual-arm approach aims to utilize B cells to create long-term immune memory, which is essential for preventing cancer recurrence. Preclinical tests demonstrated that vaccines optimized for B-cell reactivity provided superior tumor control, and researchers are currently preparing for clinical trial submissions expected around 2027.​
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• Cancer Reversion: Reprogramming Malignant Cells
  ​The emerging concept of cancer reversion suggests that the immune system can be trained to reprogram malignant cells back into a normal, differentiated state instead of simply destroying them. This process involves epigenetic and metabolic shifts that silence malignant programs and reactivate dormant pathways, often triggered by immune signaling molecules like interferon-gamma. By reversing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), therapies like CAR-T cells may effectively transform aggressive cancers into a controlled, non-threatening state that is compatible with prolonged survival and high quality of life.​
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• KAIST In Situ CAR-Macrophage Therapy
  ​Innovative research from KAIST has introduced an in situ CAR-macrophage therapy that uses lipid nanoparticles to reprogram the body’s own macrophages directly inside a tumor. Unlike traditional CAR therapies that require a laborious laboratory engineering process, this method “awakens” the abundant macrophages already present in the tumor microenvironment to become active cancer killers. Preclinical models for melanoma have shown that these reprogrammed cells not only slow local tumor growth but also generate a systemic immune response capable of attacking distant metastatic sites.​
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• SpotNeoMet: Targeting Drug-Resistant Mutations
  ​The Weizmann Institute has developed a computational tool called SpotNeoMet to identify recurrent mutations that cause treatment failure and turn them into immunotherapy targets. By scanning patient datasets, the tool identified the androgen receptor H875Y mutation, which is common in drug-resistant prostate cancer and creates unique protein fragments that the immune system can recognize. This discovery could lead to “off-the-shelf” treatments produced from donor cells, allowing for a rapid response to resistant tumors within just a few days of identifying the mutation.​

And…that’s all folks! For today at least!
Please let me know if there is anything I can improve in my newsletters, and let me know if you have enjoyed the podcast.

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Have a great weekend!

Max