AHR's role in shaping bladder cancer response to immunotherapy
Official title: The role of AHR in modulatingimmunotherapy response and adverse events in bladder cancer
Funded at Van Andel Research Institute · NIH-11416625 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the AHR pathway affects how bladder cancer patients respond to immune checkpoint therapies and the risk of serious treatment-related side effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Van Andel Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Grand Rapids, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $183,769 |
| NIH project number | 5R00CA286742-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416625 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with bladder cancer who are candidates for or currently receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not considering or proceeding with immunotherapy may see limited relevance.
What this research studies
Bladder cancer patients who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors sometimes do not benefit or even worsen due to hyperprogressive disease. The study will examine the AHR pathway and its downstream genes to understand why this happens and how tumor cells and their surroundings react to immunotherapy. Using spatial RNA and protein profiling, researchers will analyze tumor samples to link AHR activity with treatment outcomes and adverse events. The goal is to identify biomarkers that predict response and safety, paving the way for more personalized therapy choices for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more tailored immunotherapy decisions and potentially fewer severe adverse events.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests AHR signaling influences tumor immunity, but this specific pathway in bladder cancer patients treated with ICIs is emerging and not yet proven clinically.
Where this research is happening
-
Van Andel Research Institute
Grand Rapids, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jang, Hyo Sik — Van Andel Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Jang, Hyo Sik
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Population modeling to reduce bladder cancer burden
Aimed at predicting and guiding effective, population-based ways to prevent and control bladder cancer.
-
Blocking a new immune checkpoint in bladder cancer
Researchers are trying medicines that block a newly found immune pathway to help people with bladder cancer, especially those whose tumors do not respond to current immunotherapy.
-
Nrf2 in T cells and how it could boost immune power against bladder cancer
A small grant will explore how a T-cell protein called Nrf2 affects muscle-invasive bladder cancer and whether targeting it could help patients respond better to immune therapies.
-
Understanding why bladder cancer spreads and resists treatment
This grant studies how advanced bladder cancer changes and spreads across the body, aiming to uncover why it’s hard to treat.
-
Molecular clues to bladder cancer cell changes and therapy response
This NIH grant looks at how bladder cancer cells change their identity and how that affects response to treatment, with a focus on aggressive neuroendocrine variants.
-
Repurposing spironolactone to treat bladder cancer inside the bladder
Aims to repurpose spironolactone as an intravesical treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer to help prevent recurrence and progression.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.