Steroid-sparing treatments for kidney inflammation caused by cancer immunotherapy
Official title: Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of Glucocorticoid-Sparing Immunosuppressive Treatments for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated AKI
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11366576 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares steroid-sparing immune medicines with standard steroid treatment for people who develop kidney inflammation after cancer immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | May 5, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $312,324 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK144161-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11366576 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancer who develop acute kidney injury believed to be caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors and who would otherwise receive steroid treatment are the best fit.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose kidney injury is due to another cause or who cannot safely receive alternative immunosuppressive drugs may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you join, you would be randomly assigned to receive either a steroid-sparing immunosuppressive medicine (for example, infliximab) alongside a shorter steroid course or the usual longer steroid treatment. You would have regular blood and urine tests and may have a kidney biopsy to confirm the cause of the injury. Doctors will closely monitor your kidney function, cancer status, and any side effects while tracking whether you can safely restart cancer immunotherapy. The approach aims to control kidney inflammation while reducing steroid side effects and minimizing interruptions to your cancer care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help people recover kidney function with fewer steroid-related side effects and allow them to resume cancer immunotherapy sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Evidence so far comes mainly from case reports and experience treating other immune-related side effects, so randomized trial data on this approach are largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sise, Meghan E. — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Sise, Meghan E.
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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.