Engineered immune protein treatment for liver cancer
Designer Cytokine Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
An engineered immune protein called M7S/IL-24 is being developed to shrink liver tumors and boost the immune system against metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159540 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
I have hepatocellular carcinoma and researchers are working on an improved version of a cancer-fighting protein (originally MDA-7/IL-24, now M7S/IL-24S) that can kill tumor cells and stimulate immune responses. They use virus-based delivery methods and laboratory and animal models to test whether the engineered protein reduces tumor growth, blocks new blood vessel formation, and enhances other therapies. The team reports safety and early activity from a prior Phase I trial of the original protein and is now optimizing the molecule and delivery to prepare for future patient studies. The project aims to target primary liver tumors and also eliminate distant metastatic disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma who might be eligible for future clinical trials of engineered cytokine or gene-delivery therapies.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers unrelated to the liver, those with early-stage disease already treatable by standard care, or those unable to undergo gene-delivery approaches are unlikely to benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this therapy could shrink primary liver tumors, lower the chance of metastasis, and make other treatments more effective for people with advanced liver cancer.
How similar studies have performed: An earlier Phase I trial of the original MDA-7/IL-24 delivered by adenovirus showed safety and some signs of activity, but the engineered M7S/IL-24S approach is newer and primarily at preclinical stages.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fisher, Paul B — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Fisher, Paul B
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 below.