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Researchers at UT Southwestern, including James Brugarolas, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Kidney Cancer Program, report that HIF-2α inhibitors—such as belzutifan, developed at UTSW—may effectively treat hypercalcemia, a dangerous calcium imbalance caused by kidney tumors.

Published in Cancer Discovery, the study shows that blocking HIF-2α reduces production of the hormone PTHrP, which drives elevated blood calcium. In preclinical models and a patient case study, treatment with HIF-2α inhibitors rapidly normalized calcium levels without the side effects of standard therapies.

“These findings support testing HIF-2α inhibitors as a targeted approach for kidney cancer patients with hypercalcemia,” said Dr. Brugarolas.

Read the full UTSW press release here.

Researchers at Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern (CRI) discovered that tumors can draw in lipoproteins—and the antioxidant vitamin E they carry—through a unique pathway involving sugar-coated cell structures called sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). This mechanism helps cancer cells resist oxidative stress and survive.

Published in Nature, the study was led by Javier Garcia-Bermudez, Ph.D., with collaboration from the Kidney Cancer Program. Using patient-derived kidney tumors, the team confirmed that clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) contain elevated GAG and vitamin E levels, and that blocking GAG production made tumors less aggressive.

“These findings suggest antioxidants play an important role in kidney cancer survival and identify a potential target for new therapies,” said James Brugarolas, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Kidney Cancer Program.

Read the full UTSW news release ›

UT Southwestern researchers have uncovered how certain genetic fusions trigger an aggressive form of kidney cancer through the formation of biomolecular condensates—protein networks that alter gene expression and promote malignancy.

Published in Cell, the study was co-led by Benjamin Sabari, Ph.D., with contributions from James Brugarolas, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Kidney Cancer Program, whose team provided patient-derived samples for the research. The findings identify a shared molecular mechanism across diverse cancer-causing gene fusions and point to potential new therapeutic targets.

The discovery, made possible through samples maintained by the Kidney Cancer Program’s biorepository, could inform the development of treatments for translocation renal cell carcinoma and other cancers driven by similar mutations.

Read the full UTSW news release ›