Understanding how bladder cancer progresses and resists treatment
Official title: Defining Mechanisms of Progression and Treatment Resistance in Localized Bladder Cancer
Funded at Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-10980536 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how bladder cancer can become more serious and aims to find out which genes are involved, so they can create better treatments for patients who don’t respond to current therapies, helping them avoid major surgery.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2022 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $514,185 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA276946-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10980536 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer who are at risk of progression to muscle-invasive disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer who have already undergone radical surgery may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on bladder cancer, particularly how it can progress from a non-invasive to a more dangerous muscle-invasive state. The team aims to identify the genetic factors that contribute to this progression and the resistance to standard treatments like bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy. By analyzing the genetic profiles of patients, they hope to discover new targeted therapies that could effectively treat bladder cancer without the need for radical surgery. This approach is designed to improve outcomes for patients who do not respond well to existing treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments for bladder cancer, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promise in targeting genetic factors in cancer treatment, suggesting that this approach could lead to significant advancements in bladder cancer therapy.
Where this research is happening
-
Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pietzak, Eugene — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Pietzak, Eugene
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Population modeling to reduce bladder cancer burden
Aimed at predicting and guiding effective, population-based ways to prevent and control bladder cancer.
-
Blocking a new immune checkpoint in bladder cancer
Researchers are trying medicines that block a newly found immune pathway to help people with bladder cancer, especially those whose tumors do not respond to current immunotherapy.
-
Nrf2 in T cells and how it could boost immune power against bladder cancer
A small grant will explore how a T-cell protein called Nrf2 affects muscle-invasive bladder cancer and whether targeting it could help patients respond better to immune therapies.
-
Understanding why bladder cancer spreads and resists treatment
This grant studies how advanced bladder cancer changes and spreads across the body, aiming to uncover why it’s hard to treat.
-
Molecular clues to bladder cancer cell changes and therapy response
This NIH grant looks at how bladder cancer cells change their identity and how that affects response to treatment, with a focus on aggressive neuroendocrine variants.
-
Repurposing spironolactone to treat bladder cancer inside the bladder
Aims to repurpose spironolactone as an intravesical treatment for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer to help prevent recurrence and progression.
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.