Bringing liver cancer prevention and care into HIV clinics in Uganda
Official title: Leveraging HIV care infrastructure for implementation of context-adapted liver cancer comprehensive control strategies in Uganda: The LC3 Study
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11181618 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project adds hepatitis B testing, birth-dose vaccination, and liver cancer screening to HIV clinics in Uganda to help people with HIV and hepatitis B get earlier care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $337,004 |
| NIH project number | 5U01CA275117-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181618 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults receiving HIV care in the participating Ugandan clinics, especially those with hepatitis B or pregnant people for birth-dose vaccination, are the primary candidates for these services.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not receive care at the participating clinics, those outside the study regions in Uganda, or patients with very advanced liver cancer unlikely to benefit from screening-based interventions may not gain direct benefit.
What this research studies
If you attend a participating HIV clinic in Uganda, you may be offered hepatitis B testing and linked to follow-up care for liver health. The program combines several services—screening, diagnosis, vaccination for newborns, and pathways to treatment—tailored to local clinic settings. Clinic staff will get training and support so these services fit into routine care, and the team will collect health data and patient feedback to improve how things work. The work takes place across urban and rural sites so services are adapted to different communities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could catch hepatitis B and early liver disease sooner and increase access to prevention and treatment, reducing deaths from liver cancer in Uganda.
How similar studies have gone: Previous local demonstration work by the same team has successfully integrated hepatitis B services into HIV care in parts of Uganda, though a comprehensive, scaled package across regions has not yet been fully implemented.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kirk, Gregory D — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Kirk, Gregory D
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
AI-powered liver cancer screening using ultrasound blood flow patterns
A new AI-based method analyzes liver blood flow signals to help detect liver cancer early in people with liver disease, especially in settings with limited resources.
-
Aging and liver cancer: new ways to prevent and fight hepatocellular carcinoma
This research explores how aging promotes liver cancer and tests new preventive approaches that could help people at higher risk due to age.
-
Testing new therapies for pediatric and young adult sarcoma, kidney, and liver cancers
Researchers are testing new drugs and smart combinations in models of pediatric cancers to help guide future treatments for kids and young adults.
-
Liver cancer prevention and care in Uganda using HIV clinic networks
A program in Uganda uses existing HIV care systems to roll out liver cancer prevention, screening, and treatment strategies tailored to local needs.
-
Leveraging HIV care to prevent liver cancer in Uganda
A program in Uganda uses existing HIV care clinics to roll out a liver cancer prevention and treatment plan tailored to local needs.
-
Damaged telomeres and telomerase in liver scarring and liver cancer
Using human stem-cell models, researchers look at how short telomeres and telomerase changes can lead to liver scarring and liver cancer for people with telomere-related risks.
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.