Evolution of Individual Patient s Tumor Immune Microenvironment in the Development of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Abstract
Research Plan Background: Kidney cancer has been traditionally thought to be untreatable by radiation therapy. However, recent studies have shown that radiation therapy has the potential to control kidney cancer. Recent standard treatment for metastatic kidney cancer is anti-cancer drugs, which is efficient only for some patients. Such therapies are costly and can cause severe side-effects. In kidney cancer patients, immune dysfunction occurs when immune cells that are supposed to attack kidney cancer stop attacking. This immune dysfunction becomes worse when the cancer becomes more advanced. To understand drug resistance mechanisms and the impact of radiation therapy on kidney cancer, we decided to test: (1) If progressive immune dysfunction occurs as kidney cancer becomes more advanced, and (2) If radiation therapy can help turn on immune cells to attack kidney cancer cells. Study Design: We will use kidney cancer tissue and blood from patients participating in an ongoing clinical trial. This clinical trial is designed to test whether radiation therapy can control advanced kidney cancer. All patients participating in this trial have given consent for us to study their cancer tissue, blood, and health records. Using these samples, we will study the immune cells in cancer tissues and blood at multiple time points. Risks and Benefits for Patients: Patients in the trial have already given permission for us to use their blood and cancer tissues. So, the risk to the patients from this additional research is very small. By studying immune dysfunction in kidney cancer patients, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of how kidney cancer interacts with our body s immune system in order to help design better treatments that improve patient survival and reverse the immune dysfunction. For this research to impact patient care, multiple additional steps must be undertaken, which would take at least 5-10 years. We hope that this new knowledge will lead to better clinical trials that test whether we can improve treatment, and after these trials are done will we be able to apply such treatment to patients in the clinic. Researcher Development Plan Researcher s Career Goals, Potential, and Career Development Strategy: I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, with a background as a surgical pathologist. My experience so far has been developing new pathology techniques for research. By conducting the proposed project, I hope to apply these skills to a real-world problem using real patient samples. Following my postdoctoral fellowship, I plan to start my own laboratory investigating immune cells within kidney cancer. I hope to use my understanding of kidney cancer immune dysfunction to conduct projects focused on kidney cancer treatment resistance. By doing this, I hope to help design new clinical trials that test new therapies. Mentors: To help me achieve this goal I have put together a unique group of mentors from different specialties. My mentors are from radiation oncology, medical oncology, and pathology. This group of mentors will work as a team to meet with regularly and ensure that I am achieving the goals of my project and the goals in my career development. As a pathologist, learning from the other specialties will help me better understand how pathologists and researchers can directly impact patient care.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 28, 2022
- Source ID
- W81XWH2210747
Entities
People
- Kieko Kobayashi Hara
Organizations
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- United States Army