Blocking the protein B7-H4 that helps bile duct cancer grow
Official title: Dissecting a novel tumor-promoting axis in cholangiocarcinoma
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11168772 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at whether blocking the protein B7-H4 can slow tumor growth in people with intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 13, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $612,322 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA285580-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168772 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, especially those whose tumors show high levels of B7-H4 or who have advanced/metastatic disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tumors do not express B7-H4 or who have other types of bile duct cancer driven by different mechanisms may not benefit from therapies developed from this work.
What this research studies
This project focuses on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer inside the liver) and why the protein B7-H4 is common in these tumors. Researchers will study patient tumor samples and use laboratory models and special mouse models where B7-H4 is removed to see how tumors and their surrounding scar-like tissue (desmoplasia) change. They will trace how B7-H4 works with the TGFβ pathway and the GARP receptor to activate signals that help tumors grow. The team aims to identify points where a drug or antibody could block this process and slow or shrink tumors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targeted treatments that slow tumor growth, reduce harmful tumor scarring, and potentially improve survival for people with intrahepatic bile duct cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Immune checkpoint drugs that target proteins like PD-1 have helped some cancers, but targeting B7-H4 is a newer approach with promising lab and animal results and limited human data so far.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sia, Daniela — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Sia, Daniela
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
A new mouse model to study intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and its immunotherapy
A new mouse model helps researchers understand intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and test immune-based treatments to improve outcomes.
-
Radiation plus a patient’s own immune cells to boost cholangiocarcinoma treatment
This project tests a therapy that combines precise radiation and the patient’s own dendritic cells with immune drugs to help fight intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in people who cannot have surgery.
-
Worldwide genetics of bile duct (cholangiocarcinoma)
Researchers are looking for genetic patterns that raise the risk of bile duct cancer in people from diverse regions worldwide.
-
MKK4 and Liver Regeneration after Major Liver Surgery
A study at Mayo Clinic will test a new drug, HRX215, to help people regrow liver tissue after major liver surgery for cancer.
-
New mouse model to improve immune therapy for intrahepatic bile duct (cholangiocarcinoma) cancer
This project builds a new mouse model to help make immune-based treatments work better for people with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a type of bile duct liver cancer.
-
Mutant IDH in bile duct cancer and its impact on immune response
A patient-facing look at how mutations in IDH1 drive bile duct cancer and how targeting this mutation could help immune cells fight the tumor.
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.