Harry Filippakis, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the College of Osteopathic Medicine, is the principal investigator on a newly awarded research project titled: “Spatial CRISPR: A novel approach to identify novel therapeutic targets for TFE3-RCC.” This grant is funded by the Department of Defense Kidney Cancer Research Program and will bring over $100,000 to UNE.
This study aims to identify new therapeutic molecules to treat translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC). tRCC is a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer, and impacts both children and adults. Interestingly, tRCC represents 25-40% of pediatric and ~5% of adult RCCs. tRCC is caused by changes in certain genes that produce defective proteins, which drive uncontrolled cell growth. There are currently no proven target therapies for tRCC, necessitating the need for novel therapeutic approaches. This unmet need will be addressed using a state-of-the-art spatial CRISPRi approach to find molecules that inhibit the growth of tRCC. This project has the potential to lead to a breakthrough for children and adults diagnosed with this devastating disease. Successful completion of this study has the potential to fast-track the development of the first targeted therapies for patients with tRCC.