Personalized liver treatment using a digital twin
A liver digital twin for personalized cancer therapy
This project builds a computer 'digital twin' of a patient's liver to help doctors plan safer, more effective blood‑vessel and radiation procedures for people with advanced liver cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194015 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would get a personalized computer model of your liver created from your scans and angiography so doctors can see how blood and radiation flow through your tumor and healthy liver. The team will combine AI and physics simulations to test different catheter positions, embolic amounts, and yttrium‑90 radiation plans on the digital twin. Those simulations predict tumor dose and the risk of liver damage so doctors can choose delivery plans that reach tumor‑killing doses while protecting healthy tissue. The approach aims to reduce underdosing and incomplete tumor blood‑flow blockage that commonly limit current treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with advanced liver cancer who are being considered for transarterial embolization, yttrium‑90 radioembolization (TARE), or chemoembolization (TACE).
Not a fit: Patients with early-stage tumors treatable by surgery, people not eligible for angiography or transarterial procedures, or those with severe liver failure are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could enable delivery of higher, more effective tumor doses while lowering liver toxicity, improving chances of tumor control.
How similar studies have performed: Prior clinical work has shown tumor radiation dose relates to outcomes and early AI/physics dose‑modeling is promising, but a full liver digital twin for embolization planning is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roncali, Emilie — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Roncali, Emilie
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.