Treating bladder cancer with ARID1A gene changes

Targeting ARID1A mutated Urothelial Carcinoma

NIH-funded research VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System · NIH-11213965

This project will develop new treatment approaches for people with bladder cancer whose tumors have changes in the ARID1A gene.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVA Salt Lake City Healthcare System NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Salt Lake City, United States)
Project IDNIH-11213965 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Researchers are focusing on bladder cancers that carry mutations in the ARID1A gene, a change linked to recurrence and resistance to therapy. They will study tumor samples from Veterans alongside laboratory models to learn how ARID1A loss helps cancer cells survive and resist treatment. The team will look for weaknesses created by ARID1A mutations and test drugs or drug combinations that exploit those weaknesses in preclinical experiments. Promising approaches may be advanced toward testing in patients at the VA medical center.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adults with bladder (urothelial) cancer whose tumor testing shows an ARID1A mutation, likely able to receive care through the Salt Lake City VA system.

Not a fit: People whose tumors do not have ARID1A mutations or who have non-bladder cancers are unlikely to benefit from these specific approaches.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to targeted therapies that overcome treatment resistance in ARID1A-mutant bladder cancer.

How similar studies have performed: Some preclinical work in other cancers suggests ARID1A-related vulnerabilities can be targeted, but there are currently no approved therapies specific to ARID1A-mutant tumors, so this approach is partly novel.

Where this research is happening

Salt Lake City, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.