How genetics and the immune system affect sacituzumab plus radiation for bladder cancer
Official title: Project 1 Genetic and Immunologic Mechanisms Underlying Combination Sacituzumab plus Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer
Funded at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru · NIH-11135444 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at whether adding the antibody-drug sacituzumab to radiation helps people with muscle-invasive bladder cancer and which genetic or immune factors change that response.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | September 14, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $193,244 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA274513-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11135444 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who are candidates for radiation-based, bladder-sparing treatment are the most relevant participants.
✕Less likely to help
People with non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer, cancers outside the bladder, or who will not receive radiation are unlikely to be included or directly helped by this work.
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will collect tumor and blood samples from people with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who receive radiation combined with either sacituzumab or standard cisplatin-based therapy. They will analyze tumor genes, immune cells around the tumor, and markers of treatment response to find patterns linked to benefit or resistance. Laboratory studies will connect those patient samples to how tumors respond to radiation plus the drug. The team aims to link specific genetic changes and immune features to who does well or poorly with each treatment approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could help doctors predict who is most likely to benefit from sacituzumab plus radiation and lead to more personalized treatments that improve bladder preservation and survival.
How similar studies have gone: Antibody-drug conjugates like sacituzumab have shown activity in bladder cancer, but combining them with radiation and tying responses to genetic and immune markers is a newer approach with promising but still limited prior data.
Where this research is happening
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Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chan, Timothy an-Thy — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Chan, Timothy an-Thy
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Genetic and Immune Factors in Squaring the Room: Sacituzumab plus Radiation for Bladder Cancer
A study aims to understand why combining sacituzumab with radiation helps some bladder cancer patients more than others, with the goal of making bladder-sparing therapy more effective.
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Targeted Internal Radiation and Immune Therapy for Non-Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Aims to help people with early bladder cancer that doesn’t respond to current therapy by using a novel intravesical treatment that combines targeted radiation, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and oncolytic virus to trigger a strong anti-cancer response.
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Understanding how genetic and immune factors affect bladder cancer treatment with sacituzumab and radiation.
This study is looking at how your genes and immune system affect how well bladder cancer patients respond to a special treatment that combines a drug called sacituzumab with radiation, so we can find out why some people do better than others and help create better treatments for everyone.
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Protecting small blood vessels from radiation by boosting mitochondrial health
It aims to prevent radiation-related damage to tiny blood vessels and reduce later thinking and memory problems in people who get radiation therapy by protecting cell mitochondria.
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Population modeling to reduce bladder cancer burden
Aimed at predicting and guiding effective, population-based ways to prevent and control bladder cancer.
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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.
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.