Maximizing anti-tumor immune responses in kidney cancer
Official title: Project 4: Maximizing Anti-tumor Activity through Simultaneous Activation of the Innate and Adaptive Immune System in Kidney Cancer
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11561063 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A cutting-edge program at UT Southwestern aims to speed up better immunotherapy options for kidney cancer by studying how to activate both innate and adaptive immune responses.
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, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $357,520 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA196516-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11561063 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with renal cell carcinoma who may participate in future biomarker studies or immunotherapy trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not eligible for biomarker-guided trials or those whose tumors do not engage with the investigational platform may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a translational immunology platform to identify biomarkers and develop immunotherapies for renal cell carcinoma. It builds on UT Southwestern’s resources to study how to overcome the tumor’s immune-suppressive environment and improve responses to existing treatments. The work will involve patient-derived models and biomarker discovery to guide future therapies and predict resistance to current checkpoint inhibitors. The goal is to create more effective, personalized treatment strategies for people with kidney cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with kidney cancer could receive more effective immunotherapies guided by predictive biomarkers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous similar platforms have advanced biomarker-driven immunotherapy approaches, but this project focuses on kidney cancer and predictive resistance pathways.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kapur, Payal — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Kapur, Payal
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Kidney Cancer Career Enhancement Program (CEP) at DF/HCC
A career-boosting program supports junior investigators studying kidney cancer to help them advance in basic, translational, and clinical work.
-
Kidney Cancer Development Program at DF/HCC
A funded program at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Kidney Cancer Center supports new ideas from researchers to improve understanding and treatment of kidney cancer.
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Personalized antigens for kidney cancer therapy
This grant explores identifying and targeting tumor-specific antigens in kidney cancer to develop more effective, personalized immunotherapies.
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Optimizing Anti-PD1 Therapy for High-Risk and Metastatic Kidney Cancer
A large cancer research grant is testing how best to use anti-PD-1 therapy to help people with high-risk and metastatic kidney cancer live longer and with fewer side effects.
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Targeting the HIF2 Pathway in Kidney Cancer
A cancer treatment program aims to see if a drug called belzutifan can help people with a specific kind of kidney cancer whose growth is driven by the HIF2 pathway.
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Kidney Cancer Tissue Bank and Data Repository Core
A kidney cancer tissue, blood and clinical data repository core aims to collect, store, and organize samples and linked clinical information to support research and improve care for kidney cancer 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.