The Kidney Cancer Research Consortium (KidneyCAN), in collaboration with clinical trial centers across the country, is actively pursuing innovative strategies to improve outcomes for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). These efforts focus on novel treatment agents, efficient clinical trial designs, and advanced technologies to analyze tumor biology.
Enhancing Immunotherapy Efficacy
Recognizing the importance of the immune system in RCC treatment, the consortium is exploring ways to enhance the efficacy of existing immunotherapy regimens. Eric Jonasch, MD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center, emphasized the need to improve upon current successes in stimulating the immune system, noting that the benefits are not universal.
Several trials are underway to address this need. One phase 1b/2 trial (NCT05501054) is evaluating the adenosine A2a receptor inhibitor ciforadenant (CPI-444) in combination with nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) for patients with advanced RCC. Adenosine can suppress immune cell activity, and blocking the A2A receptor may enhance the anti-tumor immune response. According to Dr. Beckermann, this trial uses a standard backbone of ipilimumab/nivolumab and added this A2A receptor inhibitor called ciforadenant.
Another phase 2 study (NCT06284564), led by Tian Zhang, MD, at UT Southwestern, is assessing the addition of evolocumab (Repatha) to nivolumab for patients with metastatic RCC. Evolocumab, a cholesterol-modifying agent, may alter the processing of proteins on cancer cells, making them more visible to the immune system.
Utilizing Advanced Technologies
The Kidney Cancer Research Consortium is also leveraging cutting-edge technologies to gain a deeper understanding of the tumor microenvironment. By analyzing tissue samples obtained from patients, researchers can assess the interactions between cancer cells and immune cells, as well as the impact of treatments on these interactions. This information can be used to develop more refined and targeted treatment strategies.
These efforts are supported by a Department of Defense (DoD)-funded grant, which aims to improve the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma by developing a network of clinical trial centers across the country. The consortium prioritizes clinical trials that industry might not otherwise pursue, focusing on accelerating the acquisition of knowledge to improve patient outcomes.
