3D Circadian Interactions Driving NAFLD-Linked Liver Cancer
Official title: 3D Circadian Enhancer-Promoter Interactions Mediated by ESRRG in NAFLD-to-HCC Progression
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11330307 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A cancer research grant explores how daily body clocks influence liver cancer that can develop from fatty liver disease, with the goal of finding times or targets to improve prevention or treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $655,389 |
| NIH project number | 5R37CA296577-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11330307 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with NAFLD or NASH at risk of progression to HCC could benefit from future applications of this research.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without NAFLD/NASH or liver cancer risk may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project looks at how circadian rhythms and 3D genome structure interact in NAFLD progressing to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). It uses advanced genomic methods to map enhancer-promoter loops and identify clock-related regulators like ESRRG that change in disease. The work aims to pinpoint timing and molecular switches that could be targeted to slow or stop cancer development in people with fatty liver disease. The findings could inform future therapies or chronotherapy approaches tailored to the liver’s daily rhythms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to new timing-based treatment strategies or targets to reduce NAFLD-related liver cancer risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that circadian biology and chromatin architecture influence disease, but this project investigates a specific liver cancer pathway linked to NAFLD.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Guan, Dongyin — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Guan, Dongyin
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Lipid signals that control acetyl-CoA and fat metabolism in NAFLD
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-
Long-term study of NAFLD progression and gut bacteria in diverse groups
We’re following people over time to see how the gut microbiome and diet relate to fatty liver disease progression in diverse racial/ethnic groups.
-
Genetic and environmental risk for fatty liver cancer in Latinos (GENIAL)
A study to understand why Latino people with fatty liver disease might be more likely to develop liver cancer and to use genetic and environmental clues to predict who is at higher risk.
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Toxic fats, vitamin B12 loss, and AHR may drive fatty liver disease
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This grant explores how a liver toxin called TCDD affects cholesterol and fatty liver disease, and how a key enzyme (HMGCR) might change that risk in adults.
-
Small blood particle signals and fatty liver in children and teens
Researchers are looking at whether molecules carried in tiny blood particles can explain or signal fatty liver disease in children and adolescents with excess weight.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.