Qing Zhang Awarded DoD Grant

Dr. Qing Zhang , has been awarded a four-year Department of Defense (DoD) Kidney Cancer Research Program (KCRP) Idea Development Award, for a total direct cost of $1.2 million.

The project, in partnership with Dr. Jiyang Yu of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, will focus on identifying and validating novel "hidden drivers" in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common type of kidney cancer. Current therapeutic strategies for ccRCC are limited, and a significant number of patients develop resistance to existing treatments, highlighting an urgent need for new approaches.

This research will leverage advanced systems biology algorithms, like NetBID2, pioneered by Dr. Yu, to uncover these elusive drivers that are not detectable by standard genomic or expression analyses. The project will specifically investigate the role of the protein NEK5 as a potential hidden driver in ccRCC tumorigenesis, particularly in cases with VHL gene loss.

The ultimate goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which NEK5 contributes to kidney cancer and to explore the therapeutic potential of targeting the NEK5 signaling axis, including the development of novel PROTAC-based degraders.

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Dr. Qing Zhang, Professor of Pathology and Director of Investigative Pathology, is also a member of the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center. To learn more about the Qing Zhang Lab: https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/zhang-qing-lab