KCA's Top 10 Research Advances of 2025
Supporting scientific and medical research is a core pillar of the KCA’s mission. We’re proud to share our top 10 initiatives from 2025 that are driving discovery, building partnerships, and translating science into patient engagement to shape the future of kidney cancer research.
Scientific Advancements
Driving discovery and shaping the future of kidney cancer research.
1. New Treatment Strategy for Translocation RCC
Dr. Kaushal Asrani, a 2024 KCA grant recipient, published a landmark study on translocation renal cell carcinoma (tRCC), a rare and aggressive subtype of kidney cancer. His discovery of unique structures on the tRCC tumor cells could indicate new opportunities for developing targeted therapies. Asrani’s findings are an important step toward precision approaches for rare RCC variants.
Read the article, from the journal Nature Communications: SFPQ-TFE3 reciprocally regulates mTORC1 and induces lineage plasticity in a mouse model of renal tumorigenesis
2. Spontaneous Tumor Shrinking
Dr. Eric Kauffman‘s KCA-supported research project revealed key reasons why some kidney tumors shrink on their own without treatment. These important insights about how kidney tumors behave add crucial information for doctors when they evaluate treatment or surveillance. Kauffman’s findings illustrate the enduring impact of the KCA’s research investments on translational science.
Read the article on kidneycancer.org: Research Update: Spontaneous Tumor Regression
3. CA-125 is a Potential RMC Biomarker
Research by Dr. Pavlos Msaouel at MD Anderson Cancer Center identified CA-125, a protein that circulates in our bloodstream, as a promising biomarker for renal medullary carcinoma, an extremely aggressive cancer type that typically affects young men of African descent. His findings offer new opportunities for non-invasive ways to monitor kidney cancer progression and find personalized treatment.
Read the article, from the journal Clinical Cancer Research: CA-125 as a Biomarker in Renal Medullary Carcinoma: Integrated Molecular Profiling, Functional Characterization, and Prospective Clinical Validation
Collaborative Research & Innovation
Building partnerships and infrastructure to accelerate discovery.
4. Consensus Paper on RCC Biomarkers
Led by Dr. Dan Shapiro of the University of Wisconsin and Dr. Marie Carlo of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the KCA’s annual Think Tank meeting group published a consensus roadmap for biomarker discovery and validation, setting a unified direction for clinical research that would benefit patients.
Read the consensus paper, from the journal Urologic Oncology: Developing biomarkers and methods of risk stratification: Consensus statements from the International Kidney Cancer Symposium North America 2024 Think Tank
5. Expanding KCA’s Research Pipeline
Three research projects presented at the KCA’s 2025 International Kidney Cancer Symposium: North America meeting in November highlighted potential new targets and prognostic signatures in chromophobe RCC and the impact of population-based risk factors such as obesity on kidney cancer. All three were the result of direct support from and collaboration by the KCA with leading investigators and scientists at Tempus AI, a partner research institution.
6. Over Half Million in Grant Funding
KCA awarded $525,000 total in 2025 to support six competitive grants for research in early detection, rare subtypes, and biomarker-driven therapeutics – strengthening our global research ecosystem.
7. Advancing Preclinical Science
The KCA held a first-of-its-kind meeting bringing global leaders to catalogue kidney cancer model systems used in lab research, paving the way for a unified information bank and collaborative development. The KCA hosted this RCC Animal Model Workshop together with UT Southwestern Medical Center, a leading kidney cancer research and care institute.
Advancing Care Through Connection
Translating Science into impact through partnerships and patient engagement.
8. Launched Pediatric Renal Tumor Coalition
The Pediatric Renal Tumor Coalition united academic, foundation, and advocacy partners to address urgent gaps in pediatric and adolescent kidney cancers, with the inaugural roundtable held during 2025 IKCS: North America.
9. New Strategic Partnerships
New collaborations with the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), the Rising Tide Foundation, Kure It Cancer Research, and advocacy affiliates Elevate Childhood Cancer Research and Advocacy and Kidney Couch expanded KCA’s reach and impact across disciplines.
Read the article at kidneycancer.org: KCA Co-Leads a Special Kidney Cancer Session at Radiation Oncology Conference
10. Launched KCA CareLink
KCA CareLink is a new way to connect hospitals with resources from the KCA to support both clinicians and patients and offer researchers unique education and development opportunities to strengthen the pipeline of kidney cancer care and expertise. This patient-centered platform will enhance engagement and accelerate discovery – stay tuned for more details and expansion in 2026!
