Investigating inflammation's role in liver cancer for better early detection and prevention.
Official title: Inflammation and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Multiomics Approach to Improve Early Detection, Causal Inference, and Lifestyle Based Prevention
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11034190 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how long-term inflammation might lead to liver cancer, and it's for people who want to understand more about the disease; researchers are comparing blood samples from liver cancer patients and healthy people to find clues that could help catch the cancer early and suggest ways to lower the risk for those who might be more likely to get it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2025 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $165,883 |
| NIH project number | 1K99CA296755-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11034190 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals at high risk for liver cancer, particularly those with chronic liver disease or inflammation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with no history of liver disease or those who are not at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on understanding how chronic inflammation contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a deadly form of liver cancer. By analyzing molecular data from various population cohorts, the study aims to identify specific protein signatures that can help in the early detection of HCC. The approach includes using advanced computational and systems biology techniques to compare the blood samples of HCC patients with those of healthy individuals. The ultimate goal is to improve risk assessment and develop lifestyle-based prevention strategies for at-risk populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to earlier detection of liver cancer, potentially improving survival rates and treatment outcomes for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using molecular signatures for cancer detection, indicating that this approach could yield significant insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Xinyuan — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Xinyuan
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Glutamine and macrophage behavior in liver cancer
A funded project at a medical university aims to understand how the liver’s immune cells interact with a specific type of liver cancer by looking at metabolism, especially glutamine and ammonia.
-
Adding PSMA PET/CT imaging to liver cancer care for veterans
This project tests a new PET imaging approach to help diagnose and guide treatment for liver cancer in veterans.
-
Blood markers to catch early liver cancer in Hispanic people with hepatitis B
This project will see if a blood test can find liver cancer earlier in Hispanic people who have chronic hepatitis B.
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Early blood markers to find hepatitis B–related liver cancer in Hispanics
This project will use immune-related blood markers to find liver cancer earlier in people with chronic hepatitis B, focusing on Hispanic adults.
-
Towards a blood-based test using nanophotonic exosomes to screen and diagnose liver cancer
A new blood test using tiny particles shed by liver cancer cells aims to screen for hepatocellular carcinoma earlier and more accurately.
-
Metabolic imaging to guide targeted therapy for liver cancer
A clinician-scientist at UPenn is pursuing training to use metabolic imaging to tailor therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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.