Investigating the Antioxidant Role of Lipoprotein Uptake in Kidney Cancer

Clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC), the most common type of kidney cancer, rewire their metabolism to avidly take up circulating lipids carried by lipoproteins. However, the precise contributions of these lipids to cancer progression remain unclear. We recently demonstrated that ccRCC tumors bolster their antioxidant defenses by increasing their uptake of lipoproteins, which carry most circulating lipids. This enhanced lipoprotein uptake confers resistance to lipid peroxidation and subsequent ferroptotic cell death. Both major lipoprotein classes, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL), exhibit anti-ferroptotic properties; however, HDL has a much stronger antioxidant effect than LDL. Blocking the uptake of these antioxidant-rich lipoproteins induces oxidative stress and suppresses tumor growth. Despite these findings, the specific lipid functional nodes by which lipoproteins influence the redox state of ccRCC cells, and the distinct contributions of different lipoprotein classes to this phenomenon, remain uncertain. My research aims to investigate the antioxidant role of lipoprotein uptake in ccRCC by systematically examining their influence on tumor metabolism and progression. First, I will identify the antioxidant components of lipoproteins in ccRCC tumors. Using focused analytical and functional genetic approaches, I will pinpoint the lipid cargo acquired from lipoprotein uptake and assess its impact on the antioxidant response of ccRCCs in vitro and in vivo. Second, I will dissect the relative contribution of individual lipoprotein classes to ccRCC tumor growth. By employing genetic manipulation of class-specific uptake mechanisms, I will determine the unique effects of each lipoprotein class on the antioxidant response of ccRCC tumors in vivo. Finally, I aim to elucidate the mechanism underlying the strong antioxidant effect of HDL in cancer. Through a systematic analysis of lipidomic, proteomic, and genetic changes in response to HDL versus LDL uptake, I will clarify the differing anti-ferroptotic effects of these two lipoprotein classes. This research builds on our previous work by providing a mechanistic understanding of lipoprotein-mediated antioxidant protection and delineating the roles of different lipoprotein classes in this process. Tumors evade oxidative damage and other metabolic challenges by uptaking antioxidant-rich lipoproteins. This proposal seeks to explore this crucial antioxidant function in ccRCC. By systematically analyzing the contributions of lipoprotein classes to tumor redox homeostasis, we aim to identify targeted therapeutic strategies to improve outcomes for patients with aggressive ccRCC. Project Number: 1F31CA310232-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Cancer Institute (NCI) | Principal Investigator: Dylan Calhoon | Institution: UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER, DALLAS, TX | Award Amount: $41,819 | Activity Code: F31 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 F09A-R (20)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11314955