by Tom Wilemon
Kure It Cancer Research has awarded a $200,000 grant to support the work of Scott Haake, MD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology.
Haake’s research involves how RNA sequence-based biomarkers can identify targetable biologic drivers of kidney cancer. Kure it Inc. is a nonprofit that funds translational research projects focused on kidney cancer and other underfunded cancers.
“It is an exciting time for kidney cancer patients. There are a lot of emerging therapies. However, patients and physicians have few tools to help them choose among the many therapeutic options. This grant will fund work to explore and develop such tools using RNA sequencing technology,” said Haake.
Haake has worked closely with other Vanderbilt kidney cancer investigators to develop these tools, including Brian Rini, MD, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, professor of Medicine and chief of Clinical Trials at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Rini recently published work in Cancer Cell describing seven distinct RNA-sequencing defined clusters that correlate with response to different kidney cancer therapies. The current project funded by Kure It seeks to validate these clusters in a retrospective, multi-institutional cohort and transform the clusters into a useful clinical tool that could be utilized in future prospective clinical trials.
The funds raised through Kure It directly support groundbreaking research at leading National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Founded by Barry Hoeven in 2007 after his diagnosis with kidney cancer, Kure It expanded to support all underfunded cancers when the vast disconnect between the number of people afflicted with cancer and the amount of funding available for research became apparent.
To date, Kure It has raised more than $12 million for cancer research.
