Understanding how kidney cancer spreads to bone and how to fight it
Official title: Illuminating the Immune Dynamics of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to Bone
Funded at University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr · NIH-11446651 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-focused look at how clear cell renal cell carcinoma spreads to bone and how new treatments might help people with advanced disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $579,658 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA307210-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11446651 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma and bone metastases or those whose disease has progressed on standard therapies, who may participate in future trials or related studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without bone metastases or those not matching the specific disease stage or treatment history may not directly benefit from this work.
What this research studies
This project studies how bone metastases develop in people with clear cell renal cell carcinoma and how bone its surrounding environment interacts with tumor and immune cells. Researchers use animal and lab models to mimic bone metastasis and test how current treatments like TKIs and immune therapies affect the bone tumor niche. The goal is to identify mechanisms of resistance and to explore new approaches that could improve responses in patients with bone-involved kidney cancer. The work aims to translate basic findings into strategies that could inform future clinical trials for patients with bone metastases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to better treatments that slow or control bone metastases and improve survival and quality of life for patients with advanced ccRCC.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows that the bone tumor environment influences therapy response, but translating this to patient care remains challenging and this project seeks to advance that gap.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dondossola, Eleonora — University of Tx Md Anderson Can Ctr
- Study coordinator: Dondossola, Eleonora
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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.