Researchers at the Harper Cancer Research Institute and the University of Galway receive Naughton Fellowship to Continue Collaboration on the Role of a Protein in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma // News // Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute // University of Notre Dame

A research proposal to investigate the role of a protein called TRAIL in clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC), an aggressive form of kidney cancer, has received funding from The Naughton Fellowship's Faculty Research Accelerator Program.

Principal Investigator Xin Lu, in collaboration with Eva Szegedi, Lecturer in Biochemistry and Claire Robinson, MSCA DevelopMed Fellow and Honorary Lecturer in Cancer Biology from the University of Galway and the Biseach Initiative, seek to understand how TRAIL functions in ccRCC and how it interacts with other proteins while exploring the mechanisms by which TRAIL regulates cell survival and proliferation in ccRCC. An additional goal of their study is to develop a combination therapy approach to target ccRCC cells and ultimately develop improved therapeutic strategies for treating this aggressive form of kidney cancer.

Szegezdi and Robinson will focus on investigating how TRAIL regulates the proliferation and biochemical signaling in ccRCC cells, whereas Lu will focus on developing a new therapeutic strategy by combining recombinant TRAIL and an epigenetic modulator to treat ccRCC.

The mission of the Naughton Fellowships Faculty Research Accelerator program is to support collaborations between faculty at the leading research universities of Ireland and the University of Notre Dame to advance collaborative research and foster stronger ties between both institutes and the two countries, while also supporting research at the highest level of excellence in the STEM fields. To learn more, please visit naughton.nd.edu.

The Biseach (Irish for healing) Initiative is a joint endeavor of the University of Galway and the Harper Cancer Research Institute. Their mission is to bring together talent from both institutions to identify research opportunities, partner in grant applications, and create joint publications and patents. Fighting Irish Fighting Cancer on both sides of the Atlantic hope to make a global impact in the field of cancer research. To learn more, please visit harpercancer.nd.edu.