Liver Cancer and the Body's Ammonia Cleanup System
Defective urea cycle promotes oncogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma
This research explores how problems with the body's natural ammonia cleanup system might encourage the growth of liver cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11111379 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies naturally get rid of ammonia, a waste product, mainly through the liver using two main pathways: the urea cycle and glutamine synthesis. While these pathways are known to play a role in the growth of various cancers, their specific impact on liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is not fully understood. Interestingly, in HCC, the urea cycle often becomes less active, while glutamine synthesis becomes more active, which is different from what's seen in other cancers. This project aims to uncover how these changes in ammonia processing contribute to the development and progression of liver cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer, may ultimately benefit from the insights gained from this fundamental research.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments will not directly benefit from this foundational laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatment strategies for liver cancer by targeting how the body processes ammonia.
How similar studies have performed: While the general involvement of ammonia handling pathways in other cancers has been observed, their specific roles in liver cancer are largely unexplored, making this a novel area of focus.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zong, Wei-Xing — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Zong, Wei-Xing
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.