Using HIV clinics in Uganda to prevent and detect liver cancer
Official title: Leveraging HIV care infrastructure for implementation of context-adapted liver cancer comprehensive control strategies in Uganda: The LC3 Study
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11385065 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project brings hepatitis B screening, birth-dose vaccination, and liver cancer checks into HIV care clinics in Uganda to help people with or at risk for HBV and HIV get earlier care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $39,960 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA275117-02S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385065 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults receiving HIV care at participating Ugandan clinics, and pregnant people attending antenatal care at those sites, are the main candidates for these services.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not attend participating HIV clinics in Uganda or those whose liver cancer is already too advanced for available treatments may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If you get HIV care at a participating clinic in Uganda, the team will add Hepatitis B screening, newborn birth-dose vaccination and routine liver health checks to your visits. They will adapt the LC3 care package to fit local hospitals and train clinic staff to deliver these services in both cities and rural areas. The project will follow patients' medical records and collect patient feedback to improve how screening and treatment are offered. Over time they will track whether these changes lead to earlier detection and better treatment of liver disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to earlier detection and treatment of liver disease and fewer deaths from liver cancer among people with HBV and HIV in Uganda.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier demonstration projects in Uganda have already integrated HBV services into HIV clinics and launched antenatal screening and birth-dose delivery, showing promising results that this work builds upon.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kirk, Gregory D — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Kirk, Gregory D
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
AI-powered liver cancer screening using ultrasound blood flow patterns
A new AI-based method analyzes liver blood flow signals to help detect liver cancer early in people with liver disease, especially in settings with limited resources.
-
Aging and liver cancer: new ways to prevent and fight hepatocellular carcinoma
This research explores how aging promotes liver cancer and tests new preventive approaches that could help people at higher risk due to age.
-
Testing new therapies for pediatric and young adult sarcoma, kidney, and liver cancers
Researchers are testing new drugs and smart combinations in models of pediatric cancers to help guide future treatments for kids and young adults.
-
Liver cancer prevention and care in Uganda using HIV clinic networks
A program in Uganda uses existing HIV care systems to roll out liver cancer prevention, screening, and treatment strategies tailored to local needs.
-
Leveraging HIV care to prevent liver cancer in Uganda
A program in Uganda uses existing HIV care clinics to roll out a liver cancer prevention and treatment plan tailored to local needs.
-
Damaged telomeres and telomerase in liver scarring and liver cancer
Using human stem-cell models, researchers look at how short telomeres and telomerase changes can lead to liver scarring and liver cancer for people with telomere-related risks.
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.