Immune protein changes that help liver cancer grow in fatty-liver disease
Dysregulated Complement Pathway in Macrophage Reprogramming and Progression of HCC in MASH
This project tests whether blocking a specific complement protein system can stop immune cells from helping liver tumors grow in people with MASH.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11245765 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
People with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) can develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and this project looks at how certain immune proteins (the complement pathway) change immune cells called macrophages to let tumors grow. Researchers will use patient-derived 3D tumor models that mix a person's cancer cells and macrophages in a microfluidics system to recreate the tumor environment. They will alter levels of the complement inhibitor SERPING1 and block C3–C3AR1 signaling to observe effects on macrophages and exhausted CD8 T cells. The work combines analysis of human MASH-HCC tissue with lab models to find targets that could become treatments to prevent MASH-driven HCC.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with MASH, especially those with early liver tumors or at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, or people willing to donate liver tissue or blood samples for research.
Not a fit: People without fatty-liver disease or those with unrelated cancers are unlikely to benefit directly from this research in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify ways to block harmful immune signals and lead to treatments that prevent or slow liver cancer in people with MASH.
How similar studies have performed: Related laboratory studies suggest complement targeting can change macrophage behavior, but turning this into effective treatments for people remains early and largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dhanasekaran, Renumathy — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Dhanasekaran, Renumathy
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.