Metabolic imaging to guide targeted therapy for liver cancer
Official title: Metabolic Imaging to Enable Targeted Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11451904 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A clinician-scientist at UPenn is pursuing training to use metabolic imaging to tailor therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $296,232 |
| NIH project number | 1K08CA304354-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11451904 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who would benefit from metabolism-guided therapies and advanced imaging biomarker development.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not eligible for metabolic imaging-guided therapies or those not pursuing liver cancer treatment may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This grant supports a mentored-to-independent transition for Dr. Tischfield to build a lab focused on precision imaging for targeted liver cancer treatment. The plan emphasizes gaining advanced imaging and analytical skills, including MS, HP-MRI, and PET, to study tumor metabolism. It will also provide mentorship in quantitative PET/MR methods, protocol development, and clinical trial design to translate imaging biomarkers into patient care. The training environment at UPenn will help cultivate an independent research program with potential to improve how therapies are chosen and monitored.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to more personalized and effective treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma through better imaging biomarkers.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work in metabolic imaging and HP-MRI has shown promise, but rigorous translation to targeted therapy remains an emerging area.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tischfield, David James — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Tischfield, David James
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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.