Catheter-guided nanoparticle delivery of anti–PD-L1 immunotherapy to liver tumors
Official title: Transcatheter Intra-Arterial Delivery of Oriented Anti-PD-L1 Immune checkpoint inhibitors Immobilized Nanocarriers for Local Combination Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11294290 · Data updated 2026-11-12
It delivers PD-L1 blocking immunotherapy directly into liver tumors through a catheter using nanoparticle carriers for people with hepatocellular carcinoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $356,311 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA278956-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11294290 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people with hepatocellular carcinoma who are not eligible for curative surgery or transplant and whose tumors can be reached by arterial catheterization.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with tumors that cannot be accessed via the tumor-feeding artery, with widespread metastatic disease, or who cannot undergo arterial procedures may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If you had hepatocellular carcinoma, doctors would use a catheter threaded into the artery supplying your tumor to place tiny nanoparticle carriers holding anti–PD-L1 antibodies right at the cancer site. The nanoparticles are engineered so the antibodies sit in an oriented way that improves binding to the tumor and reduces off-target interactions with normal tissues. The plan is to pair this local delivery with tumor-directed treatments like ablation to boost immune response where it is needed most. Early work will be done in the lab and animal models to refine the approach before moving toward human applications if results are promising.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This approach could strengthen immune attack on liver tumors while lowering systemic immune side effects seen with standard infusion of checkpoint drugs.
How similar studies have gone: Systemic PD-1/PD-L1 drugs have helped some HCC patients and combining checkpoint blockade with local ablation has shown promise, but catheter-based oriented nanoparticle delivery is relatively new and mainly at the preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kim, Dong-Hyun — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Kim, Dong-Hyun
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Targeted delivery of immune therapy for liver cancer treatment
This study is looking at a new way to treat liver cancer by using tiny carriers to deliver immune therapy right to the tumor, which could make the treatment work better and cause fewer side effects, and patients may have a chance to try this promising approach for better results.
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Determinants of immunotherapy response in NASH-related liver cancer
Aims to understand why some patients with NASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma respond differently to immunotherapy and to identify biomarkers that predict who benefits.
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Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Platform for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
A Johns Hopkins study will test immune-based therapy given before surgery to shrink liver cancer and help prevent recurrence.
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Predicting early harms and biomarkers in liver cancer patients treated with immunotherapy
This grant aims to identify early signs of serious side effects and find blood biomarkers that predict toxicity or good response in people with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immunotherapy.
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Image-guided device to deliver immunotherapy and heat to liver tumors
This project uses a special image-guided device to put immune-boosting medicine and controlled heat directly into liver tumors for people with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Why immunotherapy works less well for NASH-related liver cancer
This project tests whether adding drugs that block KIT/MAPK/Wnt pathways to immunotherapy helps people with NASH-related liver cancer respond better.
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.