Blood metabolites to find biomarkers for biliary tract cancer risk
Official title: Searching the blood metabolome to identify risk biomarkers for biliary tract cancer
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11303273 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large study will test blood metabolites to identify markers that may indicate future risk of biliary tract cancer in people from diverse populations.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $671,592 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA262678-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11303273 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals from diverse populations who provided pre-diagnostic blood samples and have follow-up data for BTC.
✕Less likely to help
People without known BTC risk factors or without available pre-diagnostic samples may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project will analyze blood samples collected before cancer diagnosis from thousands of individuals across multiple cohorts to find metabolites linked to BTC risk. It uses existing biobanks and genetic data to validate potential biomarkers and understand how metabolites relate to disease biology. The goal is to enable earlier risk identification and inform prevention strategies for biliary tract cancer. If successful, these biomarkers could help tailor monitoring or risk-reduction efforts for at-risk individuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, people at higher BTC risk could be identified earlier and receive more attentive prevention or screening.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have identified circulating metabolites linked to cancer risk, but this study expands to multi-ancestry cohorts and replication.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shu, Xiao-Ou — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Shu, Xiao-Ou
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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.