Understanding how bladder cancer spreads and how to stop it
Official title: Investigating mechanisms of bladder cancer metastasis
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11386348 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies why bladder cancer spreads to other parts of the body and uses mouse models to test new ideas for stopping metastasis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $516,846 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA283068-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386348 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with bladder cancer or those at risk of metastasis who may benefit from future drug developments or trials.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not affected by bladder cancer or without metastasis research relevance may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers have created mouse models that mimic how bladder cancer becomes invasive and spreads. They examine the roles of key genes like ARID1A, PTEN, and p53 to uncover what drives metastasis. They also use advanced computational methods to predict drugs that could target the mechanisms behind metastatic progression. The goal is to identify treatments that could prevent or slow metastasis in patients with bladder cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to new strategies to prevent or treat metastatic bladder cancer in patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has shown that combining genetic mutations with carcinogen exposure can model metastasis and guide treatment ideas, but human translation remains ongoing.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Abate-Shen, Cory — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Abate-Shen, Cory
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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How bladder cancer spreads
Researchers are using new mouse models and computer analysis to find the molecular switches that make bladder cancer spread, with the goal of helping people with advanced bladder cancer.
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Understanding how bladder cancer spreads
This study is looking at how bladder cancer spreads in the body, especially in patients with advanced stages of the disease, using special mouse models to find out what causes this spread and to discover new treatments that might help.
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Investigating chimeric RNAs in bladder cancer metastasis
This study is looking at how certain RNA changes in bladder cancer might help the cancer spread through the lymph nodes, with the hope of finding new ways to diagnose and treat patients facing this tough disease.
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Lymph node metastasis and immune tolerance in head and neck cancer
A study in people with head and neck cancer looks at how cancer spread to lymph nodes may shape the immune system and help tumors grow.
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Targeting how RMS cells fail to mature to slow or stop pediatric muscle cancer spread
A project to understand why a pediatric muscle cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma spreads, and to test ideas that could slow or stop it by helping cancer cells mature properly.
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Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
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.