A new telomere-targeted drug to boost surgery for early liver cancer
Official title: Project 3: A novel telomere-targeted agent for neoadjuvant therapy of early-stage HCC
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11406311 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A first-in-class drug given before surgery may reduce recurrence for people with early-stage liver cancer by targeting cancer cells with a special enzyme.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | September 5, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $416,527 |
| NIH project number | 5P50CA295495-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406311 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing surgical resection may be eligible or benefit from future translational steps of this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without resectable disease or without eligibility for neoadjuvant strategies may not benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports testing a novel drug approach given before liver cancer surgery to shrink or kill cancer cells and lower the chance of cancer coming back. The team at UT Southwestern will study a telomerase-targeted nucleoside prodrug, 6-thio-dG, to see if it can trigger cancer cell death and help the immune system fight the tumor. The project combines basic lab discoveries with plans to move toward a neoadjuvant treatment option for patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma. If successful, this could lead to new pre-surgical treatment options that improve long-term outcomes. The research is designed to build evidence for a strategy that could be used in future human trials with patients beside surgery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with early-stage liver cancer could experience fewer recurrences after surgery and better overall outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Neoadjuvant immunotherapy has shown promise in several cancers, but this specific telomere-targeted approach in HCC is in early stages.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yopp, Adam — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Yopp, Adam
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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.