LAST WEEK TODAY!

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

Hi fellow warriors! Here we are! Newsletter number 52, and we’re ready to start counting from 1 again! I have to say, this week felt like a holiday even for research and researchers (ah, those lazy youngsters… hahaha). I struggled a bit to find something interesting, but in the end I managed. Before leaving you to the reading, I wish you a Magnificent 2026!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 1 Trial: Metabolic Blockade with SGLT2 Inhibitors
  ​A pilot clinical trial at Washington University School of Medicine is testing the repurposing of the diabetes drug dapagliflozin for 24 men with high-risk localized prostate cancer. This Phase 1 study involves a neoadjuvant approach, administering the drug daily for six weeks before patients undergo a radical prostatectomy. SGLT2 inhibitors function by blocking glucose transporters that are frequently overexpressed in prostate tumors, effectively starving cancer cells of their energy source and reducing ATP levels by nearly half. Beyond metabolic disruption, these drugs may offer cardio-protective benefits, potentially reducing heart failure hospitalizations and offseting cardiovascular risks associated with androgen deprivation therapy.
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• Phase 1 Trial: Allogeneic CAR-NK Therapy for Metastatic Cancer
  ​An exploratory Phase 1 clinical trial is investigating the safety and efficacy of allogeneic CAR-NK cell therapy for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This innovative therapy uses off-the-shelf NK cells derived from healthy donors, which are genetically engineered to target PSMA-expressing cancer cells. Unlike traditional CAR-T therapies that require weeks of patient-specific manufacturing, this approach allows for rapid access for patients in urgent need. These innate immune warriors can kill cancer cells without prior sensitization and may be paired with checkpoint inhibitors to overcome the immunosuppressive environment of prostate tumors. Early preclinical models suggest this treatment can shrink tumors and lower PSA levels without the severe cytokine storms often seen in other cell-based immunotherapies.
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Preclinical Research & Reviews

• Frog Gut Bacterium Ewingella americana for Tumor EradicationResearchers have identified a gut bacterium from the Japanese tree frog, Ewingella americana, that can completely eradicate colorectal tumors in mouse models after a single injection. This bacterium is uniquely adapted to low-oxygen environments, which allows it to preferentially colonize the hypoxic core of aggressive tumors where most drugs and immune cells struggle to function. Once it penetrates the tumor, E. americana causes direct tissue damage and triggers a massive recruitment of T cells and neutrophils, turning “cold” tumors into “hot,” inflamed lesions. Cured mice even developed a vaccine-like memory response, rejecting later attempts to re-introduce cancer cells. However, because this bacterium is a known human pathogen, future work must focus on developing engineered or attenuated strains to ensure safety before human clinical translation can begin.
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• Super-Adjuvant Nanoparticles for Cancer Vaccination
  ​A new cancer vaccine platform using super-adjuvant nanoparticles has been developed to significantly enhance the body’s immune response against tumors. These tiny particles deliver a combination of two boosters, cdGMP and MPLA,to activate the STING and TLR4 immune pathways simultaneously. This synergy causes cells to produce four times more IFN-β, a critical alarm signal that makes dendritic cells super active in displaying cancer markers to killer T cells. In preclinical tests, the nanoparticles prevented cancer in 88% of pancreatic models and 100% of mice challenged with a secondary injection of cancer cells. Because this platform can use whole killed cancer cells rather than specific, hard-to-identify targets, it could be produced quickly and cheaply using manufacturing techniques similar to those used for COVID-19 vaccines.
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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