Using gut bacteria to help the immune system fight liver cancer
Official title: Mechanistic studies of gut microbiota-mediated immune activation against hepatocellular cancer
Funded at University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt · NIH-10915635 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are seeing if changing gut bacteria can help the immune system respond better to liver cancer treatments like anti-PD-1 therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Farmington, United States) |
| Project start | September 23, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $488,308 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA250536-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10915635 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The most relevant patients would be adults with hepatocellular carcinoma, particularly those eligible for or receiving anti-PD-1 immunotherapy.
✕Less likely to help
People without liver cancer, or those who cannot take antibiotics or microbiome-based treatments, are unlikely to benefit from this line of research.
What this research studies
Scientists use a mouse model that mimics human hepatocellular carcinoma and change the gut microbiome with antibiotic cocktails or by adding the bacterium Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. They measure tumor growth, CD8+ T cell function, and immune cell activity in tumors, and look for bacterial DNA signals and TLR9 activation in tumor dendritic cells and macrophages. They also test whether clearing the gut and then repopulating it with B. thetaiotaomicron improves the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. The experiments aim to show whether microbiome changes can slow tumor growth and boost anti-tumor immunity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to microbiome-based ways to boost immunotherapy responses in people with liver cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in other cancers have shown the gut microbiome can influence immunotherapy response, but using Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron specifically to boost anti-PD-1 in liver cancer is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
Farmington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Staveley-O'carroll, Kevin Finnbar — University of Connecticut Sch of Med/dnt
- Study coordinator: Staveley-O'carroll, Kevin Finnbar
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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.