Optimizing anti-PD-1 therapy for localized kidney cancer
Official title: Optimizing neoadjuvant/adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy for localized Renal Cell Carcinoma
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11277056 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant aims to improve how anti-PD-1 immunotherapy is used before and after surgery to help people with localized kidney cancer who are at high risk of relapse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 11, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $740,020 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA308071-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11277056 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with localized renal cell carcinoma at high risk of relapse who are candidates for neoadjuvant or adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy and have available baseline tissue and plasma samples from prior trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients unlikely to benefit from anti-PD-1 therapy or without suitable biomarker profiles may receive no direct benefit from this research.
What this research studies
In people with localized renal cell carcinoma at high risk of coming back, the research will look for signs in tumor tissue and blood that predict who benefits from neoadjuvant or adjuvant anti-PD-1 therapy. The team will study baseline tissue and plasma samples from prior trials to identify biomarkers that indicate potential benefit from nivolumab in the pre- or post-surgical setting. The goal is to develop a humane, non-invasive way to select patients who are most likely to respond, improving survival while avoiding unnecessary treatment. This translational effort leverages kidney cancer expertise and existing specimen collections to move toward personalized adjuvant care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Identifying reliable biomarkers could personalize therapy, improving outcomes and reducing unnecessary treatment for patients with localized RCC.
How similar studies have gone: Previous RCC studies and biomarker analyses in immunotherapy have shown promise in predicting response, but this project extends those findings using a unique tissue/plasma sample set from a prior trial.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Signoretti, Sabina — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Signoretti, Sabina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how kidney cancer spreads to bone and how to fight it
A patient-focused look at how clear cell renal cell carcinoma spreads to bone and how new treatments might help people with advanced disease.
-
Improve precision medicine for kidney cancer in people of African descent
A research project will explore why kidney cancer affects people of African ancestry differently and how to use genomics to guide better treatments.
-
Engineering immunogenic cell death to boost melanoma and kidney cancer therapy
This grant supports research aimed at making melanoma and kidney cancer cells die in a way that triggers a stronger immune response in patients.
-
Prognostic test to predict metastasis in clear cell kidney cancer
A new 12-marker biomarker test for people with clear cell renal cell carcinoma may help doctors predict which patients are at higher risk of metastasis.
-
Defining metabolic targets in kidney cancer for new treatments
A cancer-focused project is exploring how kidney cancer uses metabolism so doctors can find new, targeted ways to treat it.
-
Targeting HIF2 in kidney cancer: a new approach for clear cell RCC
A kidney cancer research program tests whether blocking HIF2 can slow or stop tumors in people with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
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.