# Clinical characterization of Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) as a Biomarker in Renal Cell Carcinoma

> **NIH NIH R01** · BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · $374,169

## Abstract

Project Summary
While there are many treatment options for patients with metastatic RCC, it is still a deadly disease with
considerable mortality. RCC can be much more effectively treated if it is detected early when it is amenable to
surgery. To date there is no biomarker for RCC. Additionally, A specific and sensitive circulating biomarker
could not only help detect this cancer earlier but could also aid in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease.
This proposal seeks to test the utility of circulating kidney injury molecule-1/ T cell immunoglobulin mucin
domain-1 (KIM-1/ TIM-1) as a blood test that can be used to follow patients with small renal masses and with
the goal of safely avoiding or delaying surgery. We will also measure KIM1 in patients with resected RCC with
the goal of identifying a high-risk patient population most likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy after
nephrectomy for localized disease. This proposal will also test KIM-1 as a blood test that can help
follow response to therapy for metastatic disease. To prepare for submission our team has spent
considerable time and effort in identifying readily available patient samples to answer our questions. In
this proposal we are poised and have samples available to address all of these questions. We hope that in
the future, prospective trials will test KIM-1 in these settings but at this time, rigorous testing in these
retrospective cohorts will provide the groundwork for these future studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10745282
- **Project number:** 5R01CA258442-03
- **Recipient organization:** BETH ISRAEL DEACONESS MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** David McDermott
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $374,169
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-12-15 → 2026-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10745282

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10745282, Clinical characterization of Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) as a Biomarker in Renal Cell Carcinoma (5R01CA258442-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10745282. Licensed CC0.

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