Project Grant R01DK148495

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases awarded Brigham and Women's Hospital $881,680 on August 21, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to develop and validate a risk prediction model for proteinuria associated with vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway inhibitor (VSPI) therapy.

The research aims to identify clinical, biochemical, and genetic risk factors that predict high-grade proteinuria in cancer patients receiving VSPIs—drugs that address multiple cancers but carry nephrotoxicity risks that can force treatment discontinuation. Early identification of at-risk patients enables closer monitoring and earlier anti-proteinuric interventions, thereby minimizing treatment interruptions and improving kidney and overall survival outcomes.

In Aim 1, the recipient will derive and externally validate a risk prediction model for VSPI-associated proteinuria occurring within 180 days of VSPI initiation, drawing on data from more than 15,000 patients treated with VSPIs between 2016 and 2025 at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital (derivation cohort), with validation using Veterans Health Administration data. In Aim 2, the recipient will prospectively collect blood and urine samples from 400 VSPI-treated patients at baseline and 14 days following VSPI initiation, measuring 16 candidate blood and urinary biomarkers at both time points.

The award runs from August 21, 2026, through May 31, 2031, with performance at Boston, Massachusetts.