How liver disease affects immune cells and their response to cancer treatment in liver cancer
Official title: Liver disease impact on myeloid cells driving immunotherapy resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11055035 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how liver disease affects the success of immunotherapy for patients with liver cancer, focusing on certain immune cells that might make it harder for the body to fight the cancer, and it hopes to find better treatment options by combining immunotherapy with other medicines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $282,053 |
| NIH project number | 1K08CA290152-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11055035 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma who also have liver disease.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without liver disease or those with other types of cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how liver disease impacts the effectiveness of immunotherapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The study focuses on specific immune cells known as CD14CTX myeloid cells, which may hinder the body's immune response against cancer. Researchers will analyze these cells using advanced techniques to understand their role in treatment resistance and explore how combining immunotherapy with other medications might improve patient outcomes. By examining patient samples and tumor characteristics, the research aims to uncover new strategies to enhance treatment efficacy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved immunotherapy treatments for patients with liver cancer, particularly those with underlying liver disease.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promising results in understanding immune responses in cancer, making this approach both relevant and potentially impactful.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Keenan, Bridget — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Keenan, Bridget
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Determinants of immunotherapy response in NASH-related liver cancer
Aims to understand why some patients with NASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma respond differently to immunotherapy and to identify biomarkers that predict who benefits.
-
Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Platform for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
A Johns Hopkins study will test immune-based therapy given before surgery to shrink liver cancer and help prevent recurrence.
-
Predicting early harms and biomarkers in liver cancer patients treated with immunotherapy
This grant aims to identify early signs of serious side effects and find blood biomarkers that predict toxicity or good response in people with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immunotherapy.
-
Catheter-guided nanoparticle delivery of anti–PD-L1 immunotherapy to liver tumors
It delivers PD-L1 blocking immunotherapy directly into liver tumors through a catheter using nanoparticle carriers for people with hepatocellular carcinoma.
-
Image-guided device to deliver immunotherapy and heat to liver tumors
This project uses a special image-guided device to put immune-boosting medicine and controlled heat directly into liver tumors for people with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
-
Why immunotherapy works less well for NASH-related liver cancer
This project tests whether adding drugs that block KIT/MAPK/Wnt pathways to immunotherapy helps people with NASH-related liver cancer respond better.
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.