Preventing complications and cancer in people with cirrhosis
Official title: Strategies and Therapies for Outcomes Prevention in Cirrhosis: The STOP-C Liver Cirrhosis Network
Funded at Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ · NIH-11169668 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether close clinical monitoring, detailed biospecimen collection, and long-term statin treatment can help people with compensated cirrhosis avoid liver failure and liver cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $417,897 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK130221-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11169668 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with compensated cirrhosis (NASH, alcohol-related, cholestatic, or cryptogenic) who can provide clinical data, biospecimens, and follow-up information are the best candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with already decompensated cirrhosis, those with contraindications to statins, or those unable to provide follow-up data are less likely to benefit from this project.
What this research studies
I would join a group of patients with compensated cirrhosis (including NASH, alcohol-related, cholestatic, and cryptogenic types) who give clinical information, blood samples, and behavioral data. The team will follow us over time to build models that predict who is likely to worsen and to validate cirrhosis patterns using electronic health records. They will also compare outcomes linked to different lipid-lowering drugs in real-world data and test whether long-term statin use prevents decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma. The network combines in-person study sites and a larger virtual EHR cohort to speed enrollment and confirm findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify who is most at risk of liver complications and show whether statins or other lipid-lowering drugs can safely reduce progression to liver failure and cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Observational studies and retrospective analyses have suggested statins may lower complications in liver disease, but strong randomized trial evidence is limited and this combined cohort-plus-trial approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Brown, Robert S — Weill Medical Coll of Cornell Univ
- Study coordinator: Brown, Robert S
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Liver Cirrhosis Network: Centers for Clinical Research
A multicenter study in people with cirrhosis from different causes (including HIV, NASH, and alcohol-related liver disease) to collect data and samples and test new ways to predict and monitor disease progression.
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Liver Cirrhosis Network: Mayo Clinic's Clinical Research Center
A Mayo Clinic-led project will follow and help people with compensated cirrhosis, using data, imaging, and a big AI tool to predict when complications may happen and test whether a statin can improve outcomes.
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Liver Cirrhosis Network: Longitudinal and Clinical Trial Studies
A network-wide NIH study focused on understanding cirrhosis better to prevent complications and improve care for people with advanced liver disease.
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Liver Cirrhosis Network: Coordinating Data for Better Care
A national effort is coordinating data to improve care for people with advanced liver disease and its complications.
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Liver Cirrhosis Network coordinating cirrhosis studies and a rosuvastatin trial
This project follows people with liver cirrhosis over time and tests whether the cholesterol medicine rosuvastatin helps people with cirrhosis.
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First-in-class treatment for liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension
A new therapy called XFB19 aims to reduce liver inflammation and scarring in people with advanced liver disease and portal hypertension.
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.