Understanding why bladder cancer spreads and resists treatment
Official title: Deciphering tumor heterogeneity, metastatic spread, and treatment resistance in advanced bladder cancer
Funded at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center · NIH-11435060 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how advanced bladder cancer changes and spreads across the body, aiming to uncover why it’s hard to treat.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | July 2, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $752,751 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA317052-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11435060 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer who have undergone or are eligible for tumor sampling and biomarker analyses through coordinated care.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose disease biology does not align with the studied variants or who cannot undergo tissue sampling may see limited direct benefits.
What this research studies
Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center are creating a comprehensive look at how bladder cancer tumors evolve across multiple body sites and how different histological subtypes behave. They use rapid autopsy samples, multi-omic profiling, and circulating tumor DNA to map tumor evolution after treatment with chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The goal is to identify patterns of resistance and opportunities for targeted, localized therapies that could improve outcomes for patients with metastatic bladder cancer. The project builds on an established autopsy program that gathers tumors and benign tissues soon after death to study the disease in detail. This work could guide future treatments and help predict which patients are most at risk for progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could reveal targets to overcome treatment resistance and inform personalized therapy for metastatic bladder cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work using rapid autopsy and multi-omic profiling has shown meaningful insights into tumor evolution and metastasis.
Where this research is happening
-
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ha, Gavin — Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
- Study coordinator: Ha, Gavin
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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.