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Vanderbilt School of Medicine Basic Sciences

Kidney Disease Research

The American Cancer Society’s most recent estimates for kidney cancer in the United States for 2026 are about 80,450 new cases of kidney cancer (50,770 in men and 29,680 in women) will be diagnosed and about 15,160 people (10,200 men and 4,960 women) will die from this disease. Kidney cancer is one of the 10 most common cancers in both men and women in the United States. Kidney cancer accounts for about 3% to 5% of all cancers.

3-D rendered medically accurate illustration of kidney cancer. (Adobe Stock image, by Sebastian Kaulitzki)
3-D rendered medically accurate illustration of kidney cancer.

Kidney Disease

Vanderbilt School of Medicine’s Basic Sciences investigators study kidney cancer and kidney disease from molecules to patients. Teams link genomics, epigenetics, and metabolism to clear cell renal cell carcinoma initiation, therapy resistance, and tumor–immune microenvironment. Researchers build organoid, CRISPR, and mouse models to test pathways and identify drug targets, working closely with the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Parallel programs probe acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, fibrosis, and hypertension, using single-cell and spatial profiling, proteomics, and advanced imaging to map nephron cell states. Shared cores, biorepositories, and interdisciplinary training accelerate translation to biomarkers and new therapies, improving outcomes in renal disease.