Improving bladder-sparing treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer by targeting DNA repair changes
Targeting Nucleotide Excision Repair Deficiency to Improve Bladder Sparing Treatment for Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
This work looks at whether bladder cancers with specific DNA-repair gene changes make bladder-preserving chemo-and-radiation more effective so more patients can avoid bladder removal.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dana-Farber Cancer Inst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11162292 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have muscle-invasive bladder cancer, the team will look for changes in a DNA-repair gene called ERCC2 in tumor tissue. They will compare how tumors with ERCC2 changes respond to standard cisplatin-based chemoradiotherapy versus tumors without those changes, using patient tumor samples and clinical outcome data. In lab models they will also test how ERCC2-deficient bladder cancer cells react to chemotherapy and radiation to understand why responses differ. The goal is to find a molecular marker that could help doctors and patients choose bladder-sparing treatment when it's likely to work.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with newly diagnosed muscle-invasive bladder cancer who can provide tumor tissue and are weighing bladder-preserving chemoradiotherapy versus cystectomy are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with non-muscle-invasive disease, widely metastatic bladder cancer, or tumors without ERCC2 changes may not benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify patients who can safely keep their bladder by choosing chemoradiation instead of bladder removal.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work showed ERCC2 mutations make bladder tumors more sensitive to cisplatin chemotherapy, but using that marker to guide combined chemo‑radiation decisions is a novel step.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Dana-Farber Cancer Inst — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mouw, Kent W — Dana-Farber Cancer Inst
- Study coordinator: Mouw, Kent W
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 below.