Could kidney-made glucose help kidney cancer grow?
Official title: Defining the Role of Renal Gluconeogenesis in Renal Cell Carcinoma
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11285165 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether extra glucose produced by the kidney helps renal cell carcinoma grow, aiming to help people with kidney cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | January 12, 2022 |
| Project end | December 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $444,681 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA258261-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11285165 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, particularly those with metabolic risk factors like obesity or diabetes, would be the most relevant candidates for related studies or sample donation.
✕Less likely to help
People without renal cell carcinoma or those whose tumors do not rely on kidney-derived glucose are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
This work looks at whether kidney tumors are fed by glucose made within the kidney itself. Researchers will study a hormone called FGF-21 and a fat‑breaking process in the kidney that may boost glucose production through beta2-adrenergic signaling and the enzyme pyruvate carboxylase. They will use laboratory models and human tumor tissue to trace glucose sources and see if blocking these steps slows tumor growth. The goal is to link metabolic conditions like obesity and diabetes to tumor behavior and point to new treatment ideas.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify new metabolic targets or biomarkers to slow or stop kidney tumor growth.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies showed FGF-21 can increase renal gluconeogenesis, and metabolic targeting has shown promise in some cancers, but this specific kidney glucose–tumor link is largely new and untested in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Perry, Rachel Jamison — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Perry, Rachel Jamison
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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.