Helicobacter infections and liver cancer risk in African American and White adults
Helicobacter Infection and Liver Cancer Risk among African Americans and Whites in the United States
Researchers are looking at whether Helicobacter bacteria infections are linked to higher liver cancer risk in African American and White adults in the United States.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10873350 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses stored blood samples and health records from large U.S. cohort studies to test for H. pylori and related Helicobacter species in people who developed liver cancer and in those who did not. Laboratory assays will measure antibodies and other markers of Helicobacter infection and researchers will pool data across cohorts to increase statistical power. A key focus is comparing rates and types of Helicobacter infection between African American and White participants to see if infection differences help explain racial disparities in liver cancer. The work builds on animal evidence and prior pilot data and seeks to identify infection-related risk factors that could be targeted for prevention.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be U.S. adults—particularly African American and White individuals—who are part of the cohorts contributing blood samples and medical records to the Liver Cancer Pooling Project.
Not a fit: People whose liver cancer is driven by hepatitis B or C infection, or individuals not represented in the participating cohorts, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If confirmed, links between Helicobacter infection and liver cancer could point to new prevention or screening strategies to lower liver cancer risk.
How similar studies have performed: Animal studies have shown Helicobacter species can promote liver cancer, and small human pilot data suggest higher H. pylori prevalence in African Americans, but large pooled human studies are still limited.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Xuehong — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Xuehong
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.