Targeted therapies for fatty liver-related liver cancer (ELEVATE)
Official title: ExpLoiting thErapeutic VulnerAbilities in hepaTocEllular carcinoma (ELEVATE)
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11395180 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-project effort at a major university is exploring new treatment combinations for advanced liver cancer, especially when linked to obesity-related liver disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | August 8, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $2,647,332 |
| NIH project number | 5P01CA275740-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395180 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, particularly those with NASH-related disease, may be eligible for future trials or related studies.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with HCC not driven by obesity/NASH or those unlikely to tolerate proposed therapies may receive limited or no direct benefit.
What this research studies
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tied to obesity and NASH often presents late and has limited treatment options. This P01 program includes four research projects plus dedicated cores to study molecular changes, test therapies in mouse models, and analyze data with biostatistics and bioinformatics support. The goal is to identify vulnerabilities in HCC cells and develop combination treatments that could work better for patients with NASH-HCC. Researchers will integrate animal studies, pathology work, and computational analyses to guide potential clinical strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could lead to new combination therapies that improve responses and survival for patients with advanced HCC, especially those with NASH.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies show promise for combining immunotherapy with anti-VEGF approaches, but results specifically for NASH-HCC remain mixed, making this approach novel and potentially impactful.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sarkar, Devanand — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Sarkar, Devanand
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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.