How fatty liver disease affects cancer spread in the liver
Official title: Steatotic Liver Promotes Metastatic Niche: Role of Hepatic Stellate Cells
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11167255 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how issues like fatty liver disease and metabolism can help certain cancers, like colorectal and pancreatic cancer, grow and spread, especially in people with obesity, to find new ways to treat these cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $646,739 |
| NIH project number | 1R01CA301632-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167255 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients with gastrointestinal cancers, such as colorectal or pancreatic cancer, who also have metabolic dysfunction or fatty liver disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without gastrointestinal cancers or those who do not have metabolic dysfunction or fatty liver disease may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how metabolic dysfunction and fatty liver disease contribute to the spread of gastrointestinal cancers, particularly colorectal and pancreatic cancers. It focuses on the role of hepatic stellate cells in creating a supportive environment for cancer cells to thrive and metastasize in the liver. By studying the molecular mechanisms involved, the research aims to uncover how these cells interact with cancer cells and immune responses, especially in patients with obesity. The findings could lead to new therapeutic strategies to combat liver metastasis in cancer patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved treatments for patients with liver metastasis from gastrointestinal cancers, potentially enhancing survival rates.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the role of liver microenvironments in cancer metastasis, suggesting that this approach could yield significant insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Seki, Ekihiro — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Seki, Ekihiro
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.