Blocking HIF2 in clear cell kidney cancer
Official title: Project 1: Targeting HIF2 in Renal Cell Carcinoma
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11145066 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project gives drugs that block a protein called HIF2 to people with clear cell kidney cancer to try to stop tumor growth and delay or overcome resistance.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2016 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $259,667 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA196516-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145066 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, especially those with advanced or relapsed disease or tumors that test high for HIF2α.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non–clear cell kidney cancers, those cured by local surgery, or tumors that do not rely on HIF2 activity are less likely to benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are using small medicines that bind and block the HIF2 protein, which drives the most common type of kidney cancer (clear cell RCC). They test these drugs in patient-derived tumor grafts in mice and in early human trials to see which tumors respond and why. The team looks for a biomarker — high HIF2α levels — that may predict which patients benefit. They are also studying how tumors develop resistance and working on ways to prevent or overcome those resistance changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide targeted HIF2-blocking treatments that shrink tumors and delay or prevent drug resistance in clear cell kidney cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Early-phase trials of HIF2 inhibitors like PT2385 showed that the drugs were tolerable and had anti-tumor activity, and follow-up compounds have shown promising clinical results.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brugarolas, James — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Brugarolas, James
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Targeting HIF2 in kidney cancer: a new approach for clear cell RCC
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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.