Why localized bladder cancer can progress and resist treatment
Defining Mechanisms of Progression and Treatment Resistance in Localized Bladder Cancer
This project looks at genetic changes in people with localized bladder cancer to find targeted treatments that stop progression and overcome resistance to BCG and chemotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11232363 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have non‑muscle‑invasive bladder cancer, researchers will analyze tumor and blood samples to find inherited and tumor DNA changes linked to progression after BCG treatment. They will compare cancers that progressed to muscle‑invasive disease with those that did not, and study mutations in DNA damage response genes like ERCC2. Laboratory models will be used to test whether these genetic changes cause resistance to BCG or cisplatin and to screen for alternative drugs that could work. The ultimate aim is to find molecularly guided treatments that could cure disease without needing radical bladder removal.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with non‑muscle‑invasive bladder cancer, especially those who have received BCG or whose tumors later progressed.
Not a fit: Patients with metastatic bladder cancer or whose tumors lack the specific genetic changes studied may not directly benefit from the findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to tests that predict who will benefit from BCG and to new targeted therapies that prevent progression and avoid radical surgery.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown that mutations in DNA damage response genes like ERCC2 affect chemotherapy response, but applying this knowledge to BCG response and finding new targeted treatments is a newer, partially tested area.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pietzak, Eugene — Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research
- Study coordinator: Pietzak, Eugene
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.