Find a New Therapy for Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH)

Study Rationale:

Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as prostate enlargement, is an immune inflammatory disease that consists of symptoms that primarily relate to a difficulty in urination. BPH affects the quality of life of approximately a third of men above the age of 50, and as many as 14 million men in the US exhibit symptoms related to this condition. 

As a result of this condition generally occurring in older men, therapies for BPH including pharmacological therapies as well as surgical and minimally invasive therapies. In addition, Saw palmetto is a popular herbal medication and extract derived from a small palm and is used by over 2 million men in the United States in the treatment of BPH, and is commonly recommended as an alternative to drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This medication allows for the treatment of BPH while preventing comorbidities and side effects. 

Study Impact and Next Steps:

The human gut microbiota interacts with the immune system in order to maintain homeostasis. Imbalances in the gut microbiota can dys-regulate immune responses leading to the development of chronic inflammatory dysfunctions such as BPH. Due to this interaction, BPH can be targeted from the lense of the gut microbiota. I propose to target this disorder by transplanting the genes of saw palmetto to gut microbiome to treat individuals experiencing BPH.

I invite you to join me this semester in examining the potential of using CRISPR-9, a gene editing technology, to produce the relevant protein in the gut microbiome in individuals that suffer from BPH.