How scar-forming liver cells drive scarring and liver cancer growth
Official title: Molecular Mechanisms of Stellate Cell Activation in Liver Fibrosis
Funded at VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System · NIH-11212760 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether blocking a fat-driven signaling loop inside scar-forming liver cells can reduce liver scarring and slow hepatocellular carcinoma in people with liver fibrosis or liver cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2013 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX001991-12 |
| Project ID | NIH-11212760 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, or are at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma would be the most likely candidates to benefit from related therapies developed from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without liver fibrosis or those with unrelated cancers are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific line of research.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying hepatic stellate cells, the liver cells that make scar tissue, to learn how they help liver cancer grow. They focus on a chain of signals involving an enzyme (SCD2), fatty acids, and Wnt signaling that appears to amplify scar-cell activity. Using genetic mouse models that remove SCD2 in activated stellate cells plus detailed gene and lipid analyses, the team looks for secreted factors that link stellate cell activity to tumor promotion. The work combines molecular lab experiments with animal models to pinpoint targets that could be blocked to reduce fibrosis and tumor support.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to treat or prevent liver fibrosis and decrease the chance of liver cancer growing.
How similar studies have gone: Related research has shown that targeting stellate cell signaling can influence fibrosis, but the specific SCD2–fatty acid–Wnt loop and its secreted factors are newly described and not yet tested in patients.
Where this research is happening
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VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tsukamoto, Hidekazu — VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System
- Study coordinator: Tsukamoto, Hidekazu
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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.