Understanding a tumor-promoting immune pathway in bile duct cancer
Official title: Dissecting a novel tumor-promoting axis in cholangiocarcinoma
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11384315 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new NIH grant aims to test how a specific immune protein, B7-H4, helps cholangiocarcinoma grow and how blocking it might slow the cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 13, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,858,007 |
| NIH project number | 4R01CA285580-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11384315 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma or their tissue samples for translational studies and eventual participation in related trials.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy volunteers or patients without cholangiocarcinoma may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
This project focuses on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a bile duct cancer with very poor survival. Researchers have found that B7-H4 is overexpressed in many cases and may interact with the TGFβ pathway to drive tumor growth and scar-like tissue. In mice, removing B7-H4 extended survival and changed the tumor environment, suggesting a potential new treatment approach. The work includes validating these findings and exploring how to translate them toward human therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could lead to new therapies that improve survival and quality of life for people with biliary tract cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows B7-H4's role in immune suppression and tumor biology, with preclinical data suggesting the approach could modify tumor growth and desmoplasia.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sia, Daniela — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Sia, Daniela
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
A new mouse model to study intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and its immunotherapy
A new mouse model helps researchers understand intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and test immune-based treatments to improve outcomes.
-
Radiation plus a patient’s own immune cells to boost cholangiocarcinoma treatment
This project tests a therapy that combines precise radiation and the patient’s own dendritic cells with immune drugs to help fight intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in people who cannot have surgery.
-
Worldwide genetics of bile duct (cholangiocarcinoma)
Researchers are looking for genetic patterns that raise the risk of bile duct cancer in people from diverse regions worldwide.
-
MKK4 and Liver Regeneration after Major Liver Surgery
A study at Mayo Clinic will test a new drug, HRX215, to help people regrow liver tissue after major liver surgery for cancer.
-
New mouse model to improve immune therapy for intrahepatic bile duct (cholangiocarcinoma) cancer
This project builds a new mouse model to help make immune-based treatments work better for people with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, a type of bile duct liver cancer.
-
Mutant IDH in bile duct cancer and its impact on immune response
A patient-facing look at how mutations in IDH1 drive bile duct cancer and how targeting this mutation could help immune cells fight the tumor.
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.