UT Southwestern Kidney Cancer Program
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center SPORE in Kidney Cancer
New treatments and scans for people with advanced kidney cancer, including drugs that target HIF2α (even resistant tumors) and therapies that block the cancer's nutrient use.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11145062 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be joining a program that develops new drugs and imaging to help people with kidney cancer. The team is advancing a second-generation siRNA therapy designed to block both normal and drug-resistant forms of HIF2α and is creating a radiotracer to image HIF2α activity in patients' tumors. Other projects trace nutrients like glutamine in patients to find metabolism-targeting therapies that starve cancer. The program includes clinical trials, biomarker studies, and builds on earlier work that led to the FDA-approved HIF2α drug belzutifan.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma, especially those whose tumors rely on HIF2α or who have progressed after existing HIF2α-targeted therapy.
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage kidney cancer already cured by surgery or tumors not driven by HIF2α are unlikely to benefit from these specific interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these approaches could provide more effective treatment options for advanced or drug-resistant kidney cancer and better ways to see which tumors will respond.
How similar studies have performed: Related HIF2α-targeting drugs have already led to an FDA-approved therapy (belzutifan), while the siRNA drug and imaging tracer are newer and less tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Ut Southwestern Medical Center — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brugarolas, James — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Brugarolas, James
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 below.