Mouse models and tumor tissue support for liver cancer (HCC)

Mouse Model and Pathological Analysis Core

NIH-funded research Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11159548

Provides standardized mouse liver cancer models and human tumor and blood samples to help researchers develop better treatments for people with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionVirginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Richmond, United States)
Project IDNIH-11159548 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This core creates several types of lab mice that mimic human hepatocellular carcinoma and provides detailed pathological analysis of both mouse tumors and donated human HCC tissues and blood samples. It supplies uniform models including diet-induced NAFLD/NASH mice, an orthotopic HCC model, Sleeping Beauty hydrodynamic injection models, and a DEN/CCl4 carcinogen model to researchers in the program. The core also processes high-quality patient tumor specimens and blood so investigators can compare findings between animal models and human disease. Centralizing animal generation and pathology helps ensure experiments are consistent across projects and accelerates translational research.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people with hepatocellular carcinoma who can donate tumor tissue or blood during clinical care at the cancer center.

Not a fit: People without liver cancer or those not treated at participating centers are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this core.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could speed up discovery of new HCC treatments and improve how laboratory findings translate into human therapies.

How similar studies have performed: Using standardized mouse HCC models together with human tumor samples is a well-established approach that has produced useful discoveries, though not every lab finding becomes a new patient therapy.

Where this research is happening

Richmond, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancer CenterCancer GenesCancer InductionCancer ModelCancer-Promoting Gene
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.