Understanding how tumor metabolism and immune responses affect bladder cancer outcomes in African American patients.
Official title: Decoding tumor metabolic and immunologic interactions driving racial disparity in African American patients with bladder cancer.
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-10874556 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how bladder cancer affects African American and European American patients differently, especially in terms of how tumors use energy and how the immune system responds, to find ways to improve treatment for African Americans.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $584,631 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282282-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10874556 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are African American patients diagnosed with bladder cancer.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with bladder cancer who are not African American may not benefit directly from the findings of this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the biological differences in bladder cancer between African American and European American patients, focusing on how tumor metabolism and immune responses contribute to poorer outcomes in African Americans. By analyzing tumor samples and cell lines, the study aims to identify specific metabolic pathways that are altered in African American patients, particularly involving mitochondrial function and glutamine metabolism. The researchers will use advanced techniques like mass spectrometry and genome-wide transcriptomics to uncover these differences and explore potential therapeutic targets to improve treatment outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments tailored specifically for African American bladder cancer patients, potentially improving their survival rates.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that understanding the biological differences in cancer can lead to significant advancements in treatment, suggesting that this approach has the potential for success.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Putluri, Nagireddy — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Putluri, Nagireddy
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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This grant studies how advanced bladder cancer changes and spreads across the body, aiming to uncover why it’s hard to treat.
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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.
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Repurposing spironolactone to treat bladder cancer inside the bladder
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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.