Optimizing Anti-PD1 Therapy for High-Risk and Metastatic Kidney Cancer
Official title: DF/HCC Kidney Cancer Project 2: Optimizing Anti-PD1 Based Therapy in High Risk and Metastatic RCC
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11421799 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2003 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $322,233 |
| NIH project number | 2P50CA101942-21A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11421799 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with metastatic or high-risk kidney cancer who are candidates for anti-PD-1–based therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not eligible for immunotherapy or those unlikely to benefit from anti-PD-1–based approaches may not experience meaningful benefit.
What this research studies
This grant focuses on kidney cancer patients whose cancer has spread or is high risk, exploring how to improve responses to anti-PD-1 treatments. Researchers will study real-world patient outcomes, biomarkers, and treatment combinations to identify who benefits most and how to overcome resistance. The project integrates clinical data with biomarkers to personalize immunotherapy strategies. Outcomes may include longer survival, better disease control, and reduced overtreatment. The work is conducted at a major cancer center with a long history in kidney cancer research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive more effective, tailored immunotherapy regimens with fewer unnecessary treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show activity of anti-PD-1 therapies in kidney cancer, with ongoing efforts to optimize combinations and biomarkers.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sharpe, Arlene H. — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Sharpe, Arlene H.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Maximizing anti-tumor immune responses in kidney cancer
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.
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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.
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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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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.