Targeting profilin to normalize blood vessels in kidney cancer
Official title: Profilin as a Novel Target for Vascular Normalization in Renal Cancer
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11178700 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work tests whether blocking a protein called profilin can normalize tumor blood vessels and help people with clear cell kidney cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00CA267180-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11178700 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), especially those with advanced disease or cancer that has become resistant to anti-angiogenic treatments, would be the most likely candidates for related clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non–clear cell kidney cancers, tumors that do not show elevated Pfn1, or those ineligible for investigational treatments may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project looks at whether Profilin1 (Pfn1), a protein that controls the cell skeleton, drives the abnormal blood vessels in clear cell kidney cancer. Researchers will study tumor samples, perform lab experiments on endothelial and tumor cells, and use animal models to see if removing or inhibiting Pfn1 reduces tumor-promoted vascularization. Preliminary data show Pfn1 is elevated in tumor-associated blood vessel cells and that genetic deletion or a small-molecule inhibitor can reduce angiogenesis in models. The goal is to lay the groundwork for treatments that could be tested in patients in the future.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, targeting profilin could slow tumor growth, overcome resistance to current anti-angiogenic drugs, and improve outcomes for people with clear cell kidney cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Anti-angiogenic therapies have helped many kidney cancer patients but often face resistance, and targeting profilin is a newer approach that currently has supportive lab and animal data but limited clinical testing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gau, David Martin — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Gau, David Martin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Profilin as a Target to Normalize Tumor Vessels in Kidney Cancer
A new approach aims to curb blood vessel growth in a common kidney cancer by targeting a protein called Profilin 1 to improve how blood vessels form in tumors.
-
Overcoming obesity-related resistance to immunotherapy in kidney cancer
A study aims to understand why obesity affects how well immunotherapy works for people with advanced kidney cancer and how to improve treatments for those patients.
-
Copper-driven metabolism in clear cell kidney cancer relapse
This grant studies how copper metabolism affects the growth and relapse of clear cell renal cell carcinoma to identify new ways to help patients after surgery.
-
New VHL tumor-suppressor signaling in kidney cancer
This project looks at why a common kidney cancer (ccRCC) resists treatment and how changes in a gene called VHL and a chemical tag on RNA might open new ways to fight it.
-
Targeting epigenetic drivers in clear cell kidney cancer
A doctor-scientist at Johns Hopkins is exploring how epigenetic changes shape kidney cancer and whether new therapies can target these changes.
-
Copper and kidney cancer progression
Researchers are looking at whether copper changes how clear cell kidney cancer cells make energy and helps tumors grow or come back.
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.