CEACAM1 Splicing and Liver Injury: a pathway to safer donor livers
Official title: CEACAM1 Alternative Splicing in Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11594126 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research project is exploring how a liver gene that can be cut into different pieces affects liver damage after transplant, with the aim of making donor livers safer and more recoverable.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2017 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $546,710 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI120944-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11594126 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients waiting for liver transplant or who have received a liver graft, and who could benefit from improved donor organ quality and post-transplant recovery.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not involved with liver transplantation or hepatology may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This program looks at how the CEACAM1 gene in liver cells creates different splice variants that may protect liver tissue during transplant-related injury. By using mouse models and human data, researchers plan to manipulate these splice forms to see if they can boost liver recovery after cold and warm ischemia. The work investigates how different CEACAM1 pieces influence cell survival, inflammation, and ferroptosis pathways, as well as how immune cells respond after transplantation. The goal is to identify targets that could improve donor liver quality and outcomes for patients awaiting or receiving transplants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to therapies that improve the quality and recovery of donor livers, reducing transplant complications.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier work showed CEACAM1 influences liver quality and early injury; this project builds on that to refine splice forms for protection.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kupiec-Weglinski, Jerzy W — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Kupiec-Weglinski, Jerzy W
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding how genetic changes in blood cells relate to heart disease in people with HIV
A study will look at how age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosomal changes might contribute to heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
-
Systems genetics of vascular smooth muscle phenotypes in heart disease
Aims to understand how genetic differences influence vascular smooth muscle cells to improve prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease.
-
Motivation for Alcohol Use in Humans and How It Can Be Measured
This grant explores how people are motivated to drink alcohol and tests a safe, controlled way to study that motivation to inform better treatments for alcohol use disorder.
-
Overcoming CAR T cell resistance with tumor-targeted IL-12 to boost anti-tumor immunity
Aims to make CAR T cell therapy work better for solid tumors by using tumor-focused IL-12 to boost the body’s attack on cancer.
-
PediCODE: A Biorepository and Consortium for CoDE - Congenital Diarrhea and Enteropathy
A nationwide effort to collect clinical data and patient-derived samples to uncover the genetic causes of congenital diarrhea and enteropathy and to build a resource that helps researchers study these diseases.
-
Mentor Moms+: a community-led plan to cut alcohol use and HIV risk during pregnancy in South Africa
A community-based program adapts a trusted peer-led model to help pregnant and lactating people reduce alcohol use and HIV risk in South Africa.
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.