Combining radiation and immune cells to enhance treatment for liver cancer
Official title: Radiation and dendritic cell combination to improve immunotherapy response in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-10998056 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a new way to help people with a tough type of liver cancer by using strong radiation along with special immune cells from their own body to boost their immune system and help them live longer without the cancer getting worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $610,890 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA294704-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10998056 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who have not responded adequately to standard treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with resectable iCCA or those who have already undergone extensive treatment may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates a new treatment approach for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), a challenging form of liver cancer. It combines high-dose radiation therapy with injections of the patient's own immune cells, known as dendritic cells, to improve the effectiveness of existing immunotherapy. By using radiation to stimulate the immune response and then enhancing it with dendritic cells, the goal is to increase the body's ability to fight the cancer. This innovative method aims to extend the time patients can live without disease progression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve survival rates and quality of life for patients with unresectable iCCA.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pilot studies using similar approaches have shown promising results, indicating potential for success in this novel treatment strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Park, Sean S — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Park, Sean S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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A new mouse model to study intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and its immunotherapy
A new mouse model helps researchers understand intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and test immune-based treatments to improve outcomes.
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Radiation plus a patient’s own immune cells to boost cholangiocarcinoma treatment
This project tests a therapy that combines precise radiation and the patient’s own dendritic cells with immune drugs to help fight intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in people who cannot have surgery.
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New mouse model to improve immune therapy for intrahepatic bile duct (cholangiocarcinoma) cancer
This project builds a new mouse model to help make immune-based treatments work better for people with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a type of bile duct liver cancer.
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Using radiation and your own immune cells to boost immunotherapy for intrahepatic bile-duct (liver) cancer
This approach combines focused liver radiation, injections of your own dendritic immune cells, and two immune drugs to try to help people with unresectable intrahepatic bile-duct cancer live longer without the disease getting worse.
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A new mouse model to study liver cancer and improve its treatment
This study is looking at a tough type of liver cancer called intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and is testing a new mouse model to learn more about how the immune system interacts with this cancer, hoping to find better treatment options that work alongside current therapies.
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Understanding how tumor variety affects bile duct cancer (iCCA)
Researchers will study how differences within a single tumor and between primary and metastatic sites influence disease progression and treatment response in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, using human samples and mouse models.
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.