How immunosuppression and environmental factors affect skin cancer risk in organ transplant patients
Official title: The role of immunosuppression and environmental exposures on incident and subsequent keratinocyte carcinoma risk after solid organ transplant
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11132052 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at why people who have had organ transplants are more likely to get certain skin cancers, like basal cell and squamous cell cancers, and it aims to find ways to better screen and manage these risks for those patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | April 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $441,578 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA292523-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11132052 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have received solid organ transplants and are at increased risk for keratinocyte carcinomas.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not undergone solid organ transplantation or do not have a history of skin cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the increased risk of keratinocyte carcinomas, including basal cell and squamous cell cancers, in patients who have received solid organ transplants. It focuses on understanding how immunosuppression and environmental exposures, particularly ultraviolet rays, contribute to the development and recurrence of these skin cancers. The study aims to identify key factors that influence cancer risk in this vulnerable population, ultimately seeking to improve screening and management strategies tailored to their needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better screening and management strategies for skin cancer in organ transplant recipients, potentially reducing cancer incidence and improving patient outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that immunosuppressed patients are at higher risk for skin cancers, but this specific approach to understanding the interplay of immunosuppression and environmental factors in transplant recipients is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bittermann, Therese — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Bittermann, Therese
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding and preventing skin cancers in people who received organ transplants
This project studies why skin cancers are more common and more aggressive in kidney, liver, or other organ transplant recipients and how to better screen and manage them.
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Biomarker-guided reduction of immunosuppression after liver transplant
A multicenter trial tests whether using blood biomarkers to guide tapering of immunosuppression in adults with liver transplants can keep people healthy while lowering drug exposure.
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Personalized immunosuppression for kidney transplant recipients using real-world data and AI
A kidney transplant grant aims to tailor immunosuppressive therapy to individual patients using real-world health data and artificial intelligence.
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Biomarkers to tailor liver transplant immunosuppression
A multi-center study using blood biomarkers to guide how immunosuppressive drugs are given to liver transplant patients.
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Using blood biomarkers to guide immunosuppression after liver transplant
This project uses regular blood biomarker checks to help doctors personalize immunosuppression for people who have had a liver transplant to reduce rejection and protect the kidneys.
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Optimizing Immunosuppression and EBV-Seronegative Kidney Allocation to Reduce PTLD Risk
This grant explores how adjusting immunosuppression and kidney donor matching by EBV status could lower the risk of EBV-related cancers in kidney transplant patients.
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.