Predicting early harms and biomarkers in liver cancer patients treated with immunotherapy
Official title: Predicting early adverse outcomes and discovering biomarkers of treatment toxicity versus treatment response in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immunotherapy
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11302318 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant aims to identify early signs of serious side effects and find blood biomarkers that predict toxicity or good response in people with hepatocellular carcinoma treated with immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $287,320 |
| NIH project number | 1K08CA300357-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11302318 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with hepatocellular carcinoma being treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors, especially those with underlying liver cirrhosis.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing immunotherapy or not meeting cohort criteria may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
If funded, doctors will use data from an ongoing liver cancer immunotherapy cohort to build a model that predicts early adverse events and to discover plasma biomarkers that could signal who is at risk for toxicity or who might respond well. The work focuses on pre-treatment biomarkers and their relationship to later treatment outcomes, helping clinicians tailor therapy. It is led by a hepatology expert at UCSF and aims to improve safety and effectiveness for patients with liver cancer receiving ICIs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: A clearer picture of who is likely to have dangerous side effects or respond to immunotherapy could lead to safer, more effective treatment choices for liver cancer patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in cancer immunotherapy have identified biomarkers and confirmed the feasibility of prediction models, but predictive validation in HCC remains limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Li, Michael — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Li, Michael
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Determinants of immunotherapy response in NASH-related liver cancer
Aims to understand why some patients with NASH-related hepatocellular carcinoma respond differently to immunotherapy and to identify biomarkers that predict who benefits.
-
Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy Platform for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
A Johns Hopkins study will test immune-based therapy given before surgery to shrink liver cancer and help prevent recurrence.
-
Catheter-guided nanoparticle delivery of anti–PD-L1 immunotherapy to liver tumors
It delivers PD-L1 blocking immunotherapy directly into liver tumors through a catheter using nanoparticle carriers for people with hepatocellular carcinoma.
-
Image-guided device to deliver immunotherapy and heat to liver tumors
This project uses a special image-guided device to put immune-boosting medicine and controlled heat directly into liver tumors for people with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
-
Why immunotherapy works less well for NASH-related liver cancer
This project tests whether adding drugs that block KIT/MAPK/Wnt pathways to immunotherapy helps people with NASH-related liver cancer respond better.
-
Using immunotherapy before surgery to improve outcomes in liver cancer
This study is looking at how giving immunotherapy before surgery can help boost the immune system's ability to fight liver cancer, and it's for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who are preparing for surgery.
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.