UT Southwestern Kidney Cancer SPORE: new approaches to fight renal cancer
Official title: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center SPORE in Kidney Cancer
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11400745 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A major kidney cancer program at UT Southwestern is funding bold research to improve treatment for metastatic kidney cancer using targeted drugs, immunotherapy, and new metabolism-based approaches.
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 start | August 1, 2016 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,337,000 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA196516-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400745 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who may benefit from HIF2α-targeted therapies, metabolic interventions, or participate in imaging-based assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with cancers not driven by HIF2α signaling or those unable to tolerate the proposed therapies may see limited or no benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports a comprehensive program at UT Southwestern to advance treatments for metastatic renal cell carcinoma, including proven therapies and innovative strategies. Researchers will pursue HIF2α-targeted approaches, develop second-generation inhibitors, and pair them with novel imaging to monitor effects in patients. The work includes both laboratory studies and clinical components aimed at translating discoveries into better patient care. The goal is to understand how metabolism supports tumor growth and to identify biomarkers that guide therapy in people with RCC.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with metastatic kidney cancer could have more effective treatments with real-time imaging to guide therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work linked HIF2α to RCC and led to FDA-approved belzutifan, showing this line of research can translate to patient care.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brugarolas, James — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Brugarolas, James
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Maximizing anti-tumor immune responses in kidney cancer
A cutting-edge program at UT Southwestern aims to speed up better immunotherapy options for kidney cancer by studying how to activate both innate and adaptive immune responses.
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Kidney Cancer Career Enhancement Program (CEP) at DF/HCC
A career-boosting program supports junior investigators studying kidney cancer to help them advance in basic, translational, and clinical work.
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Kidney Cancer Development Program at DF/HCC
A funded program at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Kidney Cancer Center supports new ideas from researchers to improve understanding and treatment of kidney cancer.
-
Personalized antigens for kidney cancer therapy
This grant explores identifying and targeting tumor-specific antigens in kidney cancer to develop more effective, personalized immunotherapies.
-
Optimizing Anti-PD1 Therapy for High-Risk and Metastatic Kidney Cancer
A large cancer research grant is testing how best to use anti-PD-1 therapy to help people with high-risk and metastatic kidney cancer live longer and with fewer side effects.
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Targeting the HIF2 Pathway in Kidney Cancer
A cancer treatment program aims to see if a drug called belzutifan can help people with a specific kind of kidney cancer whose growth is driven by the HIF2 pathway.
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.