Fatty liver may help breast cancer spread to the liver
Hepatic steatosis promotes liver metastasis
This work looks at whether treating fatty liver disease can slow or prevent breast cancer from spreading to the liver, especially in people with obesity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11235167 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, researchers are exploring how excess fat in the liver might feed breast cancer cells and speed up liver metastases. They will use lab models and study human liver biopsies and MRI scans to see how fatty liver changes tumor growth and response to chemotherapy. The team will also test whether correcting fatty liver can reduce liver metastasis and make standard treatments work better. Findings could point to treating fatty liver as part of breast cancer care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with breast cancer who have signs of fatty liver disease (for example on imaging or biopsy) or who are at high risk due to obesity.
Not a fit: Patients without fatty liver disease or whose cancer has already spread elsewhere may not receive direct benefit from this specific approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, treating or preventing fatty liver could lower the chance of breast cancer spreading to the liver and improve responses to chemotherapy.
How similar studies have performed: Mouse experiments have shown fatty liver increases liver metastasis and early human biopsy and MRI data support a link, but clinical trials testing treatment of fatty liver to prevent metastasis are not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rohatgi, Nidhi — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Rohatgi, Nidhi
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.