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-11385064 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project brings hepatitis B screening, vaccination, and earlier liver cancer detection and treatment into HIV care clinics to help people in Uganda stay healthier.
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) | $223,400 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA275117-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385064 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults receiving HIV care at participating clinics in Uganda, people living with or at high risk for hepatitis B, and pregnant women/newborns at participating antenatal sites.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not attend participating HIV clinics in Uganda, those without hepatitis B risk, or patients already with advanced, untreatable liver cancer are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
If you get HIV care in Uganda, the team will add routine hepatitis B testing, offer antiviral treatment when needed, and provide HepB birth-dose vaccinations at antenatal sites. They will use existing HIV clinic staff and systems to track patients, arrange follow-up, and link people to liver imaging and treatment when needed across both urban and rural regions. The work builds on over 18 years of collaboration between Makerere and Johns Hopkins that has already piloted HBV integration and studied liver cancer in Uganda. The team will adapt and refine these services so they fit local clinics and can be rolled out more widely.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could prevent hepatitis B transmission, detect liver disease earlier, and reduce deaths from liver cancer among people receiving HIV care.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier pilot projects in Uganda have shown that adding hepatitis B services to HIV care is feasible and promising, though comprehensive, nationwide implementation remains new.
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
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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.