Prevention of Hepatocellular Cancer Related to Metabolic Disease
Official title: Prevention of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Related to Metabolic Syndrome
Funded at Baylor College of Medicine · NIH-11379126 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-project effort to reduce deaths from liver cancer by studying people with metabolic-related liver disease and finding ways to predict risk and prevent cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,158,050 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA263025-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11379126 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with MAFLD-related cirrhosis who are part of the THCCC cohort or who meet cohort criteria.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without MAFLD or cirrhosis, or those not enrolled in the THCCC cohort, may not benefit.
What this research studies
This program will follow a large group of adults with MAFLD-related cirrhosis to identify markers and risk factors linked to hepatocellular carcinoma. It uses data and biospecimens from the Texas HCCC Consortium to build risk scores using clinical, metabolic, imaging, and genetic information. The team will explore chemoprevention and better surveillance strategies to lower liver cancer risk in this growing population. The work is designed to translate findings into practical tools for identifying high-risk patients and guiding prevention efforts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with MAFLD-related cirrhosis could receive personalized risk assessments and targeted prevention strategies to lower their chances of developing liver cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown value in risk stratification using phenotypic, metabolic, and imaging markers, but this program aims to integrate multiple data types for improved predictions.
Where this research is happening
-
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: El-Serag, Hashem B — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: El-Serag, Hashem B
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Stopping Liver Cancer Linked to Metabolic Syndrome
This work aims to find better ways to prevent liver cancer in people who have fatty liver disease caused by metabolic issues.
-
Reducing liver cancer risk in patients with metabolic syndrome
This study is looking to help people at risk of liver cancer by finding out what factors increase that risk and how to better prevent it, and it involves patients sharing samples and information to improve our understanding.
-
Glutamine and macrophage behavior in liver cancer
A funded project at a medical university aims to understand how the liver’s immune cells interact with a specific type of liver cancer by looking at metabolism, especially glutamine and ammonia.
-
Adding PSMA PET/CT imaging to liver cancer care for veterans
This project tests a new PET imaging approach to help diagnose and guide treatment for liver cancer in veterans.
-
Blood markers to catch early liver cancer in Hispanic people with hepatitis B
This project will see if a blood test can find liver cancer earlier in Hispanic people who have chronic hepatitis B.
-
Early blood markers to find hepatitis B–related liver cancer in Hispanics
This project will use immune-related blood markers to find liver cancer earlier in people with chronic hepatitis B, focusing on Hispanic adults.
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.