Molecular clues to bladder cancer cell changes and therapy response
Official title: Molecular basis of lineage plasticity in neuroendocrine bladder cancer: implications for therapeutic response
Funded at Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp · NIH-11425761 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant looks at how bladder cancer cells change their identity and how that affects response to treatment, with a focus on aggressive neuroendocrine variants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Buffalo, United States) |
| Project start | August 24, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $655,846 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA315503-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11425761 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with bladder cancer, especially those with neuroendocrine/variant histology or molecular subtypes linked to therapy response.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-bladder cancers or those not matching the study’s targeted tumor subtypes may not benefit.
What this research studies
Bladder cancer is not one disease—it has different cell types that can change over time, influencing how patients respond to therapy. The project studies the biology of these changes in tumor cells and how they relate to treatment outcomes, using models that mimic human disease. By understanding these lineage changes, researchers hope to identify why some tumors resist chemotherapy and immune therapies. The work aims to connect molecular subtypes with practical treatment decisions for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to more personalized treatments and better responses for patients with aggressive bladder cancer variants.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that tumor subtype and lineage plasticity can influence treatment response, but targeted models for NEBC are limited—this work advances that area.
Where this research is happening
-
Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp
Buffalo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Qiang — Roswell Park Cancer Institute Corp
- Study coordinator: Li, Qiang
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Population modeling to reduce bladder cancer burden
Aimed at predicting and guiding effective, population-based ways to prevent and control bladder cancer.
-
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.
-
Nrf2 in T cells and how it could boost immune power against bladder cancer
A small grant will explore how a T-cell protein called Nrf2 affects muscle-invasive bladder cancer and whether targeting it could help patients respond better to immune therapies.
-
Understanding why bladder cancer spreads and resists treatment
This grant studies how advanced bladder cancer changes and spreads across the body, aiming to uncover why it’s hard to treat.
-
Repurposing spironolactone to treat bladder cancer inside the bladder
Aims to repurpose spironolactone as an intravesical treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer to help prevent recurrence and progression.
-
Racial and social factors linked to bladder cancer outcomes
This grant builds a partnership between Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Southern University to understand how people’s social and living conditions affect bladder cancer outcomes and treatment results.
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.