Understanding and Treating Kidney Problems from Cancer Immunotherapy

Rapid Diagnosis and Treatment Response Phenotyping of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Acute Interstitial Nephritis

NIH-funded research Yale University · NIH-11164743

This project looks for better ways to quickly identify and treat kidney inflammation that can happen to people receiving certain cancer treatments.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionYale University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New Haven, United States)
Project IDNIH-11164743 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are powerful cancer treatments, but they can sometimes cause kidney inflammation called ICI-AIN. Currently, it's challenging to tell if kidney problems are due to ICI-AIN or another cause, and it's also hard to know early on if initial steroid treatments are working. This project aims to find a new marker, CXCL9, to help diagnose ICI-AIN faster and predict how well patients will respond to steroids. Researchers will also explore why some patients don't improve with steroids, which could lead to better alternative treatments. This work involves recruiting patients who develop kidney injury while on these cancer therapies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are cancer patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy who develop acute kidney injury.

Not a fit: Patients not receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy or those without acute kidney injury would not directly benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to quicker diagnosis and more effective, personalized treatment for kidney problems caused by cancer immunotherapy.

How similar studies have performed: This project proposes a novel approach to use CXCL9 as a real-time biomarker, addressing current diagnostic and treatment response challenges in ICI-AIN.

Where this research is happening

New Haven, 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 2026-06-15 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.